Homicides spike in major U.S. cities as efforts to pass police reform bill have stalled
WASHINGTON - Many saw George Floyd's death as something of a turning point, but one year later, Congress is still struggling to respond.
Protesters marched in Minneapolis, bemoaning what has not yet happened since Floyd's death.
"One year later, we are still pleading and begging for laws to change," said Toshira Garraway, founder of Families Supporting Families Against Police Violence.
And to mark the anniversary, President Joe Biden will meet with Floyd's family at the White House.
"He wanted this meeting to be private in order to have a real conversation," said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
But part of that conversation will no doubt center around Congress, where efforts to pass a police reform bill have stalled, and Biden's deadline will come and go.
"We made a lot of progress over the weekend," said New Jersey Senator Cory Booker.
The Democrats and Republicans involved in negotiations say they're getting close, but differences remain over legal protections for police officers.
Meantime, crime rates in many cities are soaring.
In Minneapolis, where calls to defund the police gained traction, homicides shot up 113%. A 38% spike in Philadelphia. In Chicago and New York, it's a 22% jump.
On May 25, one police union president said the verdict is in.
"I think we can now all agree that with the early returns of the numbers, that the whole defund the police movement needs to be abandoned," said Maryland Fraternal Order of Police President and CEO, Clyde Boatwright.
And George Floyd's family will also meet with White House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to push for action on Capitol Hill.
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