BOUND BY TRAGEDY: George Floyd's family will attend Tyre Nichols' funeral in solidarity
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE: George Floyd's family will reportedly attend Tyre Nichols' funeral as they extended support to the latter's loved ones after having battled similar circumstances. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the Nichols family just as he did for Floyd's, revealed that several members of the Floyd family will be at the ceremony scheduled on Wednesday, February 1, in Memphis.
The Floyds reportedly sent sent their condolences to the Nichols family after their son died following a brutal beating by Memphis police officers. The families have not met in person as yet, and will finally see each other at the Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Memphis for the funeral.
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Tyre Nichols' family seek police reform
Speaking to TMZ, Crump said that Nichols' family had been invited to join ongoing efforts to get the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed by Congress. They are reportedly all on board. Meanwhile, the outlet also learned that President Joe Biden, who spoke to Nichols' mother, RowVaughn Wells, and stepfather, Rodney, on Friday, January 27, has revived his efforts to get Congress to focus on federal police reform legislation. The commander-in-chief invited the 29-year-old's loved ones to be part of the collective effort to get the bill signed into law.
A White House official told TMZ on condition of anonymity that the administration was sending four dignitaries to the high-profile funeral, including senior advisor and former Atlanta mayor, Keisha Lance Bottoms. According to Crump, Nichols' family will seek meetings with lawmakers and continue to push for police reform in public, just as Floyd's family has been doing since he died at the hands of Minneapolis cops.
It's worth noting that the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act passed the House in 2021 but was stalled in the Senate. Biden renewed his call to pass the act on Friday, after the bodycam footage showing Nichols' arrest was made public. The President was reportedly urging Republicans in Congress to support Democrats in passing police reform.
Bill sees rather low prospects
That said, the prospect of new bipartisan negotiations at Capitol Hill for legislation revamping policing laws is rather low. Earlier talks broke down without a deal in September 2021 after months of negotiations between South Carolina Republican Sen Tim Scott (R), New Jersey Sen Cory Booker (D) and former California Democrat Rep Karen Bass, who is now serving as mayor of Los Angeles. However, the chances of reaching a deal are markedly slim owing to a divided Congress and a presidential election year on the horizon.
Scott and Booker have both reinforced their commitment to seek police reform in the wake of Nichols' death. Scott addressed the tragedy on the Senate floor Monday night, January 30, and called on his colleagues across the political aisle to agree on “simple legislation” regarding police reform. “I take the issue of policing in America seriously,” the South Carolina Republican said, adding, “I want our body to see it not as an issue of Republicans versus Democrats, but as good people standing in the gap, elected to do a job that we all ran to do. Let’s do our jobs. We can make a difference in this nation.”
Meanwhile, Booker said that he would be renewing his legislative efforts “in the coming days," albeit any effort would require bipartisan support and at least 60 votes to clear the Senate and would then have to pass a GOP-controlled House. “Although Senate action on policing reform has proven difficult, from the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to more targeted reforms, I will never stop working to build a broad coalition to enact the changes that will make our nation safer, stronger, and more just,” Booker said in the statement, per CNN.