Pelosi, Schumer Kneel in Silence for Almost 9 Minutes to Honor George Floyd

Senior Democratic lawmakers, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.), knelt during a moment of silence shortly before unveiling a legislative package of police reforms Monday.

About two dozen lawmakers knelt for eight minutes and 46 seconds as a tribute to George Floyd, the unarmed African American man who died after a now-former Minneapolis police officer pinned his knee on Floyd’s neck during an arrest for that length of time.

Lawmakers, wearing African kente cloth scarves, knelt in the Capitol Visitor Center before holding a press conference to unveil their legislation in response to almost two weeks of nationwide protests over police brutality toward African Americans.

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Senate Democrats held a similar moment of silence last week.

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