legislation and requiring that america take seriously this issue of policing, and take seriously the issue that when the people are marching in the streets, it is because they are full wiy aware of the history o this issue in america, and they've had enough. so i thank all the leaders here for what you do. we're here because black americans want to stop being killed. just last week, we couldn't even pass an anti-lynching bill in the united states senate. so when we look at where we are now, with this piece of legislation, we have to understand, yes, as a country, we've seen great progress, but just last week, in the year of o 2020, we could not get an anti-lynching bill passed in the united states senate. but we are here today with common sense solutions. to hold, at least at the federal level, hold police it accouacco.

we know this is an issue not just at the federal level. it is at the state and local level, as well. but we are here today to say, in our position, as leaders in our federal government, that reform and change must happen, and it must happen now. and let's be clear, reforming policing is in the best interest of all americans. it is literally in the best interest of all americans. because this is a basic matter of fairness, and as so many have said, justice. but to be clear also, there is a broader issue that is not being addressed in this bill. that is what we must do as a nation to truly achieve safe and healthy communities. part of what has been upside down in policing policy in america is that we have confused having safe communities with hiring more cops on the street.

as though that is the way to achieve safe communities. when, in fact, the real way to achieve safe and healthy communities is to invest in those communities, in affordable housing, in the ability for homeownership, jobs, funding our public schools, giving people access to capital, so they can grow those small businesses that are part of the leadership and the health of these communities. so ours is a bill that addresses a very specific matter, under a larger umbrella of all that must be addressed. when we talk about the need for safety and safe and healthy communities in america, this, specifically, is a bill about accountability and consequence for bad behaviors by those who have been invested by society and the people with the ability to wear a badge and carry a gun. let's be clear, many in america right now already live in places

with minimal police presence. go to any middle and upper class suburb. you will not see the kind of presence of police that you see in other neighborhoods. but you will also see in those communities that those families have jobs that allow them to pay the bills and keep a roof over their head. you will also see in those communities thriving schools. you will also see in those communities access to affordable health care or families that can afford access to health care. so what we are doing today is saying that we need to have consequence and accountability in america for policing, but we also know that this is not the way that we are going to achieve healthy and safe communities. it is but a part of a much bigger issue that we still must address. so in closing, i'll just mention a few of the other points that are in the bill that are very important. i say this as a former

prosecutor. we need a national use of force standard. right now, the question asked, if there is police misconduct and excessive force is to ask of that use of force, was it reasonable? well, as we all know, we can reason away just about anything. the appropriate and fair question to ask is, was it necessary? so part of what our bill will address is a national use of force standard. independent investigations, again, as a former prosecutor, i can say. no matter how well-intentioned the prosecutor of a d.a.'s office, when they are confronted with dealing with misconduct by a police officer who serves in a department they work with every day, at the very least, there will be an appearance of conflict, even when none is intended. if a justice system is going to be robust and real, it must not only do justice, there must be an appearance of justice and confidence by the public that justice is being done in that

place. so independent investigations. the last piece i'll add is the pattern and practice investigations. under president obama, under general holder, these were robust. when there was a finding or an accusation, that there was a pattern and practice within a law enforcement agency. the federal government would do investigations. well, those under this current administration have practically been shut down. they need to be reinstated. also, what we are saying, is to give it teeth in addition to what has been done in the past, we will grow on that progress by giving the civil rights division of the department of justice subpoena power. so when police departments do not comply with requests, they will be required to by responding to a subpoena. so my final point is, again, that it is time for this, and i'm so heartened by all of the colleagues we have in the united states senate, and leader

schumer, who have banded together in support of this. there's more work to be done, but i applaud all of the leaders on the stage. thank you. and i will now introduce -- oh, you go. >> i'd like to bring up the majority whip, mr. jim clyburn. >> thank you, madame chair. to speaker pelosi, leader schumer, leader hoyer, chairleader bass, and all the other members who are here today. with liberty and justice for all. when i was a kid growing up, little town of sumpter, south carolina, we said the pledge every morning. and it ends with that phrase, "with liberty and justice for all." we all knew in that little town it was simply a vision.

when we were trying to put together our response for what was then the package, i said on the telephone call, this gives us a tremendous opportunity to restructure things in that vision. i was mocked for that. i was attacked for wanting liberty and justice for all. by various media. i'm going to back away from that. we're here today in search of that vision, liberty and justice for all. now, you've heard what's going to be in this legislation. i want to say two things. first, to those who are responsible for writing it, and,

secondly, to those who are responsible for writing about it, let me say this: with few exceptions, white people came to this country willingly, in search of a new world, full of liberty and justice for all. with few exceptions, black people came to this country against their will. chained, shackled, and came to these shores enslaved. and stayed that way for 244

years. think about how long that is. how long generations that is. it's a long time, 8 minutes, 46 seconds. long time to be on a knee. for 244 years, there were plenty of knees on the necks of blacks who came to this country. so as we write this legislation, and as you write about this legislation, please keep those two divergent sets of experiences in mind. we are still in search of a more perfect union. we will always be in search of a more perfect union. we must not allow any force, in

whatever office one may hold, to turn the clock back on that pursuit. with that, i am pleased to introduce and present the chair of judiciary, jerry nadler, my classmate. >> thank you very much. i want to begin by thanking my dear friend karen bass, the chair of the black caucus and chair of the crime subcommittee, who along with senators booker and harris, and our distinguished leadership, for their tremendous partnership in producing this important legislation. it has been inspiring to work alongside all of them throughout this whole process.

we have heard the terrifying words, "i can't breathe," from george floyd, from eric garner, from the millions of americans in the streets calling out for revenge, for change. our hearts ache for the loss of george floyd, breonna taylor, all the victims of police violence over the years. for every incident of excessive force that makes headlines, the ugly truth is there are countless others that we never hear about. we value and respect the many brave and honorable police officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect us in our communities, but we cannot be blind to the structure of racism and injustice that prevpr pervades far too many of the departments. this is a problem that requires a comprehensive solution. it has been an honor to work in

lock step with the congressional black caucus and other sponsors to craft this act, a historic piece of legislation. this bold, transformative, and responsible legislation will ban choke holds at the federal level and incentivize states to do the same, help end racial profiling, get weapons of war off our streets, hold police accountable in a meaningful way, increase transparency, and require and encourage greater use of body cameras. it does all of this while also addressing issues on the front end, by ensuring our law enforcement agencies adhere to the highest standards in training, hiring, and de-escalation strategies to address systemic racism and bias, to change the culture of law enforcement in america, and, ultimately, to save lives. it creates the first ever national accreditation standard for the operation of police departments, and it creates law

enforcement development and training programs to establish best practices based on president obama's task force on 21st century policing. it also reinvests in our communities and empowers them to reshape the policing through community of based organizations for task forces and policing innovation. on wednesday of this week, the house judiciary committee will hold a hearing on the crisis of racial profiling, police brutality, and the loss of trust between police departments and the communities they serve. i expect that what we learn during that hearing will only strengthen the case for this legislation, which we hope to take up in the committee in the coming weeks. the streets are flooded with protesters across the nation and around the world right now. they are outraged. they observe moments of silences. they take the knee. they are tired of empty promises. they are demanding justice. they are demanding action.

and i say to them, we hear you. we are inspired by you. we are taking action with you. together, we will change laws because of you, and we will make a difference. thank you. and i now have the graeat pleasure of introducing the chair of the congressional black caucus, hakeem jeffries. >> thank you, jerry. to chairwoman bass, speaker pelosi, leader schumer, all of my colleagues in government, i'm appreciative of your leadership and of what this moment represents. racism is a cancer that poisons our society. today, we take a step toward addressing it by trying to

eradicate the malignant tumor of police brutality. far too often, disproportionately directed at unarmed, innocent, law-abiding african-american men and women. the choke hold and other police tactics such as a knee to the neck, which cut off breathing and result in asphyxiation, is a procedure that is unnecessary, unacceptable, uncivilized, unconscionab unconscionable, and un-american. this legislation will make it unlawful under our nation's civil rights laws. a significant number of police

departments already prohibit the use of the choke hold and tactics such as a knee to the neck as a matter of policy. but it still continues to be deployed through this very moment. that's why we need to address t it, prohibit it, outlaw it, criminalize it, as a matter of law. like any profession, there are very good police officers and there are bad ones. we embrace those police officers who are in the community to protect and serve. but violent police officers, brutal police officers, abusive police officers must be held

accountable. the justice in policing act will reform the doctrine of qualified immunity, in order to make sure that victims of police brutality can vindicate their full rights under section 1983 in our nation's civil rights laws. unless there's accountability, there will never be change. unless there's change, brutality will continue. then we'll be trapped in a vicious cycle of anguish and despair. lastly, african-americans have been in this country since before there was a country. we arrived on these shores in 1619 in shackles.

as a result of our blood, our sweat, our tears, our intellect, our ingenuity, our hard work, we helped to build this great country. and all we've ever wanted is to be treated equally. not better, not worse, equally. why has that been so difficult to achieve? that's all we've ever wanted. equal protection under the law. liberty and justice for all. treated with courtesy, professionalism, and respect by law enforcement. all we've ever wanted was to be treated equally. the justice in policing act represents a strong, necessary,

bold step in that direction, and i thank my colleagues for their leadership. and i'll yield to the distinguished chairwoman of the congressional black caucus, karen bass. >> thank you, mr. chairman. next year will be the 50th anniversary of the congressional black caucus. 50 years ago, there were 13 members of the congressional black caucus, and one of them, representative metcalf, he was the one that came up with policies related to police abuse over almost 50 year s ago. it is in their history, their legacy, that we stand today, and to continue on, and i just want to thank all of my colleagues that are here today. because we're not in session today, and you came in specifically for this. i just want to thank you for being here and for standing in solidarity with this legislation. let me say, also, that one of the beauties of this bill is that many members of the congressional black caucus have

legislation, individual bills that are part of the larger bill, because they've been work ong ing on it for so long. representative sheila jackson lee, hank johnson, representative clay, bonnie watson coleman, john lewis, representative butterfield, and preslere pressley. with that, i'll open it for questions. >> because there are so many of you here today who believe in this legislation, i was wondering if you could maybe, with a show of hands, demonstrate how many of you are confident that this legislation can cross the finish line, that it can actually become law in this current political environment. >> you want us to raise our hands? >> sure. >> there you go. >> is that confidence in president trump? >> that's part of it. >> can i just say, one of the things that gives us confidence is the fact that there are thousands of people around this country marching. there is a movement that has

caught fire, that is multi-racial, and that has also spread around the world. we need to think about how the united states appears around the world when we go out and promote human rights. the world is looking at us. that's going to help us over the finish line. yes? >> a good monday morning to you. craig melvin here. we have been watching and listening to house and senate democrats unveil their new police reform bill. it addresses lots of the concerns surrounding police misconduct and racial injustice that have brought thousands of americans, tens of thousands, into the streets over the past two weeks. before that press conference, democrats held a moment of silence for george floyd. it lasted 8 minutes 46 seconds. lawmakers taking a knee. that, of course, was the amount of time that a police officer, former police officer, had his knee on george floyd's neck.

today, that former officer is accused of killing floyd now, will be appearing in court for the first time in minneapolis. also today, in houston, texas, george floyd's hometown, thousands of mourners will be gathering to view his casket before his burial tomorrow. i want to turn now to michael eric dyson. dr. dyson is a sociology professor at georgetown university. also the author of a number of books related to the subject matter we've been talking about over the past two weeks. farra stockman is also with me, a "new york times" reporter covering national trends, including issues related to race and class. latest reporting focuses on the call from activists to de-fund police. honored to have both of you. reminder to viewers and listeners on sirius satellite radio, er pelosi wraps up there, she'll join me, as

well. dr. die sooyson, i'll start wit. from what you heard there, democrats, are they meeting the moment with this proposed legislation? >> well, i think absolutely right. i think they are making a concerted effort to address the most glaring disparities between communities of color, especially plaque communi black communities, and the treatment by the police that is routinely afforded suburban americans or white americans and other places. i think the necessity of engaging in serious, sustained reflection, legal remedies, legislation geared toward addressing the need, in some up stances, of de-funding the police, and other instances of restaffing their public services, of safety, so that the most significant resources can be directed toward people who need them. finally, trying to, in a sense, make unsexy the addiction to

violence toward black people in policing. that's something that has to be addressed directly, but i think they've made a sincere effort toward that goal. >> banning choke holds, eliminating no-knock warrants for drug offenses. of the things they outlined there, michael, what do you think the most significant measure in that bill is? what would make the biggest difference right now? >> yeah, yes, all of it. but if we say, you know, obviously, the choke holds and putting knees on the back of black people, then, you know, choking them, we've seen, since george floyd, several video tapes or video recordings of police who continue to apply the choke hold to african-american people. that's got to be the most immediately effective. ultimately, it preserves lifelong enough for somebody to file a complaint against the

police and to live to tell their stories. if we have police people on the streets being judge and jury, executing black people without due process or the legal warrant and limit of the law, we are living in a barbaric society. >> one of our law enforcement analysts, of course, bill bratton, who ran the new york city police department during the eric garner case, he said last week that he was surprised that there were still so many departments all othver this country that allow choke holds. some cases, strangle holds to be used. farra, let's talk about this phrase, "de-funding the police." a lot of protesters are calling on cities to de-fund the police. walk us through what that means to these activists. in terms of, i guess, the practical effect of that. >> well, first, i just want to talk about the choke hold. the fact that so many

departments ban it, but it is still in use, speaks to the point of these activists. they say, you can pass these laws, but if the laws aren't followed, you can pass policies, but if the policies aren't followed. i think what these activists are saying is that they're tired of reforms and promises for reforms that don't actually change their daily, lived existence. so that's -- they're coming from a place of radical change. saying, "let's not beef up community policing. let's not fix the system because it is too broken." at least that's what they're saying in minneapolis. so in minneapolis, we saw a majority of the minneapolis city council yesterday declare their support for dismantling the police department. and so it's -- it's quite --

it's quite momentous, that activists have been asking for this, and it was a fringe demand for so many years, and now the majority of the minneapolis city council are on board with it. so what does it mean? what are we talking about when we say de-fund the police? it spans the gamut. for some activists who really, seriously see no role for police. if you ask them, "hey, what do you do with a homicide investigation? what do you do with a serial rapist?" they don't tell you. they talk about a restorative justice program. they talk about community efforts. but they don't have all the answers. they're just saying, it ain't continuing this system. so it spans the gamut between people who honestly want to abolish the police, and those who say, "look, let's just de-fund or let's stop throwing all our resources into this broken system. let's peel off the parts that

police officers don't do that well." mental health calls, suicides, drug abuse, homelessness. all of these things get put on police departments, and they're the ones who are responding to so many of those 911 calls. really, it is a mental health issue. really, maybe a social worker or a nurse is more appropriate. so we've seen, in some cities, like eugene, oregon, they set up a mobile clinic that is run by a non-profit organization. they get about 20% of the dispatcher 911 calls. so they go in unarmed to these situations where they try to de-escalate. so this m co comes from a plac let's not look to police to solve all of these problems. let's farm these problems out to more appropriate services and build up those services because

the police tend to escalate, when what might be more appropriate is a de-escalation response. it means a whole gamut of -- it spans the gamut. >> here's the thing, farah, as you know, this legislation is going to face opposition, especially opposition from police unions and their allies. in fact, you and your colleagues have been looking at how police unions have really become powerful opponents to reform efforts. what opposition should we expect to see against this particular new legislation? >> oh, you're going to see plenty. especially when it comes to no-knock warrants. police will say, what's the point, if we're going to go raid a drug house, then we knock politely on the door, they'll just go and pour the drugs down the toilet. that's their argument against

no-knock warrants. yes, police unions are powerful. that's part of why i think th r intere interesting. it is one of the few levers elected officials have on police, is their budgets. one thing we saw in camden, new jersey, was the crime was going up and the police budget was out of control, very high. they couldn't afford to hire new officers. they dissolved the police, which dissolved the union. that was one way to get around the union. then they put the police responsibility on a county police form. they didn't get rid of police, but they did find a kind of ingenious way around the police union. which, you know, sees its job as protecting its officers, no matter what. i just want to explain to your viewers why the mechanism that police unions use.

labor arbitrators. if you fire somebody who is in a union, you sometimes have to go to a labor arbitrator. one of the things that protects those police officers is past practices. if previous bad cops kept their jobs for doing something wrong, then you should, too. that's what past practices mean. it literally bakes into the system this idea that racist cops in the past, who kept their jobs, are now preventing us from holding cops accountable today. so those are the kinds of institutional changes that we have to see, that i'm afraid this legislation probably doesn't address. >> dr. dyson, last word to you. in general, in this country, are we over policed? do we have too many police

officers? >> absolutely. especially for black people. you know, when you think about the occupying force of the police, a metaphor that's been used for decades now, black people are just now getting the technology to prove that we are poorly policed, we are severely policed, we are punitively policed, and we're overpoli pol. mis-policed could be. it is not applied to us. the reasonable restraint that officers apply to white brothers and sisters and others. when white dmunt communities ar treated with a level of respect that is not available to african-american people, and we keep talking about this year after year, don't forget, martin luther king jr. in his famous "i have a dream" speech mentioned the issue of police brutality. the police have been the

extension of white supremacist logic and racist thinking in america. the first encounter that many people have with the state is not their local congressman, senator, local councilman or the president, but it happens to be, in many cases, the police. the police, as representatives of the state, are invading in black life in a way that conservatives claim they don't want the state to do. it is amazing to me that right-wing conservative figures, who always argue about the overreach of the state, have no such compunction when it comes to the police to harass, hound, sometimes hurt, harm, and kill black people. yes, the police have to be held to account. what we need to do, craig, is to talk about the way in which noble, national organization of blacks in law enforcement, speaks about this. c.j. davis was the chief of the durham police department, and

others, chief vera bumpers in texas, and the like, these black police have been sounding the alarm for reform of police from within, but they haven't been listened to. the need to take the bull by the horns and really destabilize some of these unions and address the dehumanization of black people. if we did that, it would be helpful. >> n.o.b.l.e. glad you brought that up. farah stockman, thank you. dr. dyson, we're in a time when folks are fascinated by people's backdrops in their home office. i'm pleased to report that michael eric dyson is seated in front of all the books he's written. those are all dr. dyson's books behind him. thank you. thank you, both. l let us go to houston, texas, now. in houston, the public visitation is going to start in a few hours for george floyd. it is, of course, his hometown. hundreds of friends, former

teammates, teachers, all expected to pay their respects. floyd will be laid to rest tomorrow. nbc's priscilla thompson is live in houston. priscilla, what are you hearing from folks there who are waiting to pay tribute to george floyd? >> reporter: well, craig, 90 degree weather has not stopped folks from showing up here early. already, the line is wrapping around the church. we've seen the shuttle buses dropping folks off, and they've come with their lawn chairs and coolers to sit and wait for a chance to get inside and view george floyd's body and pay their respects to him. you ask what folks are saying. i'm actually here with brady bob. he grew up with george floyd, played football and basketball with him, at yates high school. brady bob, tell us a little bit about what george floyd was like to you. >> first of all, honor to you all and god for allowing me to give a platform to talk about my friend. this guy here, george floyd, was a phenomenal guy, loved to laugh, heart of gold, was

somebody that he was a motivator. he was just a great guy. 6'9", just a lovable guy. when he'd walk inside the building, he'd smile. when he smiled, everybody started smiling, man. a great guy. >> reporter: you didn't just spend time with him sort of hanging out, you spent time on the football field, the basketball court. >> yes, ma'am. >> reporter: do you have a favorite many? >> so many. we competed in the state tournament. we went to the state finals. we lost, but it's okay. but i have a memory with floyd. we played basketball together. i was on the varsity at the tenth grade. floyd was the first person i threw an alley-oop to. at the end of the game, we ended up with seven assists. they all went to floyd. i'll never forget, man. i threw him an alley-oop, behind-the-back pass, and i made the paper. but i remember who that pass was going to. it was going to george floyd, my brother. he always motivated me to do

good, so i had to reward him as a shooting guard. that was my brother. >> reporter: that is a sweet memory. thank you for sharing that with us. that's just a taste, craig, of what we've been hearing as we spent the past couple days in houston, talking to the community that knew him best. and the class of '93 from yates high school is going to arrive together for the visitation here later on this evening. then they'll be holding a candle light vigil on the football field in honor of george floyd later tonight, craig. >> priscilla thompson there. i'll be joining you there in houston tomorrow, priscilla. be well. see you tomorrow. we just heard house speaker nancy pelosi and her party lay out their vision to address police reform. speak eer eer pelosi will join shortly to talk about whether the plan meets the moment we're in. the growing chorus of voices

chanting "black lives matter" now includes the former bearer of the republican party, mitt romney. how he's responding.

this morning, many of the national guard troops brought into washington, d.c., from other states are heading back home. their departure coming after another weekend of massive and peaceful protests in our nation's capital. sunday also saw republican senator mitt romney marching with a group of evangelical

christians. this is what the senator had to say. >> we need a voice against racism. we need many voices against racism and against brutality. we need to stand up and say that black lives matter. >> joining me now, yamiche alcindor, a white house correspondent for pbs news hour and also an nbc political contributor. yamiche, how significant was that, to see mitt romney joining those protests in washington, d.c.? >> it was quite a moment to see senator mitt romney, of course, the former republican, presidential candidate, walking amongst protesters. it was also pretty telling to see him say the words "black lives matter." activists have said that republicans and, in some cases, democrats have been fearful of uttering the word "black lives matter" or the phrase "black lives matter." i think the devil will be in the details here. we see this legislation that's already being asked to be passed

by the democrats today. what they call a sweeping police reform legislation. we didn't see mitt romney or republicans at that. we haven't seen mitch mcconnell say, yes, i'm definitely taking up what the house democrats are talking about. yes, it was a moment. to see a republican who was, of course, prominent in his party, go up and talk to and march with protesters. i think when it comes to actual change, we still don't know whether or not that's actually going to be something that democrats and republicans can agree on. >> and i think a lot of folks probably fail to realize, or don't remember, you know, you consider mitt romney's father's background. perhaps it's not as surprising. he also has a grandchild that looks like me and you. let's talk about this stunning number in our nbc news/"wall street journal" toll. 80% of people polled say things are out of control in the united states.

does it seem like the white house fully appreciates the gravity of the moment that we are in right now, as the president makes his case for re-election? >> i think some in the white house understand the gravity of the moment. that's why we've seen some white house sources talking to me about the fact that there might be some sort of plan coming together. they've been talking for a while about ben carson, the hud secretary, possibly leading some sort of mission to see -- to look at policing and racism in this country. we've also seen people talk about possibly having tim scott be part of the conversation. what we haven't seen is the president himself talk about systemic racism, lay out any plan for policing. and i can't tell if that's because either, one -- or i should say, sources i've talked to can't tell if it is, one, because the president really just feels uncomfortable about this topic and understands that he is coming from it with all this baggage, because people see him as racist, critics of him see him as racist. there is also the idea, does the

president understand how to touch this topic, and does he see it as beneficial to his re-election? this president talked about law and order, joked about not being too nice when police officers are arresting people, banging their head into the car, some saw him joking about. i think there are people wonderi wondering whether or not the president has a working solution, a beginning solution for this issue. right now, the president doesn't seem as ready to have any conversation. that, of course, is missing a big moment, people think. because he hasn't had this moment of leadership in this moment that the country is dl r clearly hungry for. >> yamiche alcindor, always appreciate you, my friend. thank you, yamiche. we saw democrats on the hill unleash their new police bill. i want to bring in nancy pelosi to talk about the legislation. madame speaker, thank you for your time on this monday. among other things, this bill would ban choke holds. it bans those no-knock warrants, like the one used by breonna

taylor was shot and killed in louisville. it would create a national database of police misconduct. how did you and the leadership team zero in on these specific reforms? >> well, i want to commend the congressional black caucus who has taken the lead on these issues for a very long time. the judiciary committee -- and that would be karen bass, our chair, and jerry nadler, the chair of the judiciary committee. there is an array of bills that members have had in the hopper for a while. now, with the public sentiment where it is, the prospect for them becoming law is greatly increased. so i have respected the prioritizing that the caucus has done. the wrying of the legislation that the judiciary committee has done. as you said, any racial profiling, choke holds, and some things that seem so obvious, but nonetheless have been hard to turn into law, now we have that

opportunity. president lincoln said public sentiment is everything. with it, you can accomplish almost anything. without it, practically nothing. and the public sentiment is there for us to do something transformative. i thank our congressional black caucus, john lewis, so many over the years who have advanced these very good solutions. >> the phrase "de-fund the police," madame speaker, as you probably know by now, it's a phrase that has already been seized upon by those on the other end of the political spectrum. they're using the phrase to paint you and some others as radical. the phrase "de-fund the police," what does that mean to you? >> well, what it means is let us spend the resources we have in a way that gives the most protection to the american

people. protection for their safety. protection for their rights. funding of police is a local matter, as you know. from the standpoint of our legislation, we're not going to that place. what we're doing is talking about how we change policy to make our policing more just and that. there's some issues that we ask police to do, mental health issues, policing in schools, all the rest, that perhaps we can shuffle some of that money around. but those are local decisions. we take an oath to protect and defend the american people. their safety is our top priority. so, again, respectful of those in law enforcement who take pride in their work. digs respe disrespectful of those who do not. we want to work together as to how we go forward. >> were police unions consulted in crafting this legislation? >> some of our members are in

touch with some unions that represent various elements of law enforcement. i don't know where the police unions will be on this. but i do know where the american people are. they want us to have liberty and justice for all, as we protect them. the issue of safety and liberty is a constant balance in our country. i feel very confident that where we're going is where the american people want us to go. where the vast majority of our law enforcement people -- they take their responsibility to protect the american people seriously. i hope they will join us in this effort, as well. >> my colleague, cara lee, over at the white house is reporting that the trump administration apparently does not anticipate supporting this bill, supporting this legislation.

how do you hope to win over republican support in the house? how do you do it in the upper chamber, as well? >> well, i think my colleagues, led led by congresswoman madam chair karen bass has had outreach to the republicans on this, and we know there's some sentiment there for good change, and as you saw the beautiful demonstration of senator mitt romney. it wasn't about this bill but about this issue. i think that the more of his ability this debate has the more republicans votes we will get. i don't pay a whole lot of attention at the -- they will discourt, tdistract. thets let's just talk about passing legislation that will keep all of the american people sage. isn't it a beautiful sight to

behold. the mortartyrdom of george floy has built such a response of peaceful demonstrators calling for the change they know our country needs. as we go forward. it's a prayerful moment. it's a transformative moment. we have a responsibility to take advantage of it. and i'm glad that the black caucus, john lewis, the conscious of the congress, an inspiration to so many of us for so many years in the congress, an honor to serve with him such an inspiration to us over the year, but many members of congress especially members of the black caucus have had these bills in the works for a long time and then we have other things. heroes' act helping in terms of disparities, access to coronavirus testing, tracing, treatment. we have the under our heroes

act, helping people in the communities including education and putting money in people's pockets helping people through this difficult time. so when you show figures that the american people think things are ouch control t of control i country. there are solutions. the coronavirus was very descript uv f destructive. we say test, treat, get the job done. talk about honoring our heroes. there is a path to bringing, restoring order to our country. if the president wishes to take that path, or if he just wishes to make up slogans to distract from the failure that he has been responsible for, but forgetting about him, let's just forget about how we go forward now. we have a golden opportunity. this martyrdom has given us

ability to rise to the occasion to remember others who sadly lost their lives to brutality and remember the other law enforcement there who take pride in their life and there to keep the americans safe. >> madam speaker, the proposed bill is sweeping. if passed it would truly be transformative. but the reality is, a lot of what we have seen manifest itself, whether police brutality or other violence in this countries as it relates to race, it's not related to legislation. it's the heart, it's the mind. how do you address that? how -- how do you change the way that people view other people in this country? how do you legislate that? >> that has always been the

challenge. the hearts and minds. we can tear down bad laws, but tear down the walls in people's hearts. i think we've seen on the streets of america, across the country in large numbers, day in and day out, saying, really, young people are thinking differently. everyone is learning from them. that for america to live up to its promise of the greatness that we are, we want to make america proud again. so do those young people. so i believe we're -- this is an opportunity. we will miss the opportunity if we didn't take advantage of it, and show a way, racial profiling, chokeholds, the doctrine of, all of the issues we deal with in the legislation will make a difference, a discreet difference, in how we respect people. so this is about respect. respect for individuals, but

respect for our founders and what they had intended. for our men and women in uniform, what they've fought for and protected and respect for the aspirations of our children who are right now the younger generation is out there in the streets. other people, too, but nonetheless, led by the young people to say, this is the future that we want to be a part of. let's not think in old ways. let's think in very positive ways about how we go forward. it's time for healing. you know, in elecclesiasteccles time for healing is now and i think across all generations people want america to heal. let's do so in a way -- advance our solutions in a way that brings people, that bring people together and not divides our country. the greatness of america depends on our doing that, but we have big problems to redress. i've said, when we had the

moment of science in emancipation hall this morning, when i was in alabama earlier this year, and saw the little children who, whose parents were being sold into slavery and so were they saying, mama, children calling out for mama, saying, "has anyone seen our mother?" and then to hear george floyd call out for his mother. a couple hundred years of separation, the same sentiment. the same sentiment. a family and community and how that has been disrupted and how we have to make the change. george floyd's a martyr and beauty of his family and how they had the dignity and inspiration way that they have led us through this mourning period. let us hope that after tomorrow he will rest in peace and his passing will be a passage of peace for the country.

>> house speaker nancy pelosi. madam speaker, thank you for your time. >> my pleasure to be with you. i wish it were under different circumstances. >> same here, madam speaker. same here. "andrea mitchell reports" starts after a short break. is . this moment right now... this is our commencement. no, we'll not get a diploma or a degree of any kind. but we are entering a new chapter in our lives. our confidence is shaken; our hearts cracked. the kind of a crack that comes from the loss of a job; from life plans falling apart. we didn't ask for it... but we are rising to meet it. and how far we've come isn't even close to how far we can go. we just have to remember how patient we were... how strong we can be. (how strong you can be.) and remember this;

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