But lets first get right into all of this with nbcs kasie hunt on capitol hill for us. Set the scene for us. What are we expecting to hear the Judiciary Committee try to answer this morning . Reporter i think it is going to be an emotional time for members of congress who are listening to the brother of george floyd talk about what his life meant, and what kind of a symbol he has become as they try to grapple with what policy changes they can make to make sure that this doesnt happen to people in the future, at least that it is made better in some way. So the political pressure and public sentiment on this issue has just dramatically changed over the course of the last two weeks in response to this. And i think youre seeing that reality reflected in how lawmakers on capitol hill are approaching this. This hearing is going to be on police brutality, on racial profiling, on all of the Different Things that they may be able to change. And democrats have already released a pretty sweeping proposal that would do things like ban chokeholds or withhold federal funding from departments that still allow chokeholds. They would make a National Registry of Police Misconduct, they would make it easier to prosecute a Police Officer who was involved in Something Like this by getting rid of what is called qualified immunity that protects Police Officers from personal liability. Now, of course, the question is, can they come to some sort of agreement with republicans that, you know, democrats feel actually goes far enough and, you know, we do know that republicans in the senate are working on their own proposal, led by senator tim scott, of south carolina, but so far it seems as though democrats think that what theyre proposing is inadequate, it doesnt include many of these major changes like chokeholds and instead would study many of these issues. So there is still a lot of daylight. I think the fact that youre seeing republicans actually come out and say that this is something that needs to be focused on while, you know, we can they will, of course, debate exactly the nature of the proposals, the fact that theyre talking about it is a reflection of how deep and broad this change is in how americans are considering and looking at this issue. So plenty of questions still left about what exactly congress is going to be able to do about this, but todays hearing at least a start toward trying to get some of them answered. I was going to note that moments ago we saw the video, we played the video of the arrival of George Floyds brother as well as Attorney Ben Crump who has been involved in representing several of the high profile cases in this country of the killing of unarmed black men and women. So we should note hes also going to be testifying in this hearing. Im curious to get your thoughts, kasie, i look at the roster of those speaking about this issue, i mentioned ben crump, the attorney, george floyd, the brother, excuse me, the Philonise Floyd, the brother of george floyd, you have a lot of experts on this, Police Chiefs from houston who will be front and center about this debate about defunding the police, there are some questionable figures as well. You have pastor darryl scott, daniel bongino, former secret service agent, tell us about why those folks are also included in this conversation right now. Reporter this is a traditional hearing on capitol hill, which usually means that both sides of the aisle, republicans and democrats, are allowed to invite witnesses to testify. Dan bongino, known is as a conservative radio host, is someone the minority was interested in hearing from. I do think what he has to say could potentially be telling in terps of how that segment of the conservative media is potentially responding to this. We know that a lot of these republican lawmakers listen very close through what goes on, on shows like that. So i think it is certainly going to tell us Something Interesting politically about what is at stake here. Now, of course, whether it aligns with the more somber tone overall of the hearing well have to see. We should notice there, you see some of the lawmakers putting on their masks as the hearing is about to get under way. I want to bring into the conversation, eddie glod, and msnbc legal analyst maya wily at the new school, also the head of the new york civilian review complaint board which has oversight over the police department. Professor glod, let me begin with you and talk to us about the significance of this hearing coming so quickly on the heels of the protests that were seeing in this country. Well, i expect that we will First Experience the raw emotion, George Floyds brother just buried his brother yesterday. So we will hear that, we will see in some ways the contours of the argument that is being made in the country around policing. Well hear one side, that is in some ways represented by the protests, where people are talking about, you know, just basic reform and defunding the police, and im really interested in seeing how the debate plays itself out, how matt gates will behave, how jim jordan will behave and the way they will respond. I think well see along with the raw emotion and the arguments around reforming police, were going to see the counterargument, and the counterargument is going to be made, i think, in a very forceful and interestingly provocative way. Maya, im curious to get your thoughts on this as well. The debate right now in this country is beginning to take shape, if you will, with simple slogans like defund the police, simple in the sense that now it is polarized as so much in our politics and policies have become. But talk to us a little bit about the meaningful reforms, away from the slogans, the genuine reforms that police in this country have to do that lawmakers at this level can legally address when so many of the Law Enforcement problems that we deal with are on a state and county and city level. Yeah, thanks, ayman. I really think what eddie said was extremely important about what we may expect to see. Here is the thing. Were not the defund conversation, which i think is a kind of a banner slogan for what really represents a wide variety of concerns about policing has not yet reached the federal level. And while most of the reforms that will fall under that banner, which, you know, spans those who want to abolish policing altogether, but frankly very large majority of advocates and activists who are really asking for a rebalance of priorities away from arresting people, putting people in contact with police for things they shouldnt be connected to Law Enforcement for, like if youre having a Mental Illness crisis. And there is no one else to call but the police. Like a very low level misdemeanor type of defense that is about im poor and im trying to make a buck by selling something i dont have a license to sell, like loose cigarettes in the case of eric garner. That these are things that have other solutions that shouldnt involve the police and thats really a major part of what the discussion is. Heres where the federal government fits into this. That were not yet talking about. There are major areas of grantmaking to Police Departments from the federal government. And a big chunk of that, for example, is antiterrorism. Now i dont know that anyone is going to say that a police function that should end is, you know, protecting against terror attacks, that is something in new york city we have experienced, the new york city is one of the biggest recipients of that. It is also an area where we have seen donald trump politicize grantmaking from the federal government for Law Enforcement by threatening new york because it also seeks to protect immigrants who are not here with papers, but that kind of conversation about what grantmaking at the federal level is incentivizing Police Reform at the local level. It is a lever and it is important and the other is what information and data the federal government is collecting from local Law Enforcement so that there is more transparency. We have some great data right now that shows there is a problem. If you look at what the bureau of justice statistics gathers, it already has been telling us for years that there are 2. 5 times more likely to be to have an excessive contact with police if youre black. So more data is helpful to figuring out what to solve. All right. Maya, eddie, ill ask you both to stay with me. This hearing is getting under way. We saw the brother of george floyd, Philonise Floyd being escorted to his seat by speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, as well as other members of the committee. That committee now is getting under way. Were listening to chairman jerry nadler with his opening remarks. Lets watch. Who commit misconduct. Today, we answer their call. Our hearts ache for the loss of george floyd, and eric garner. They ache for Breonna Taylor, tamir rice, laquan mcdonald, freddie gray, walter scott, and for so many other victims of Police Violence in all parts of america. Their shocking deaths sparked momentary outrage, but no fundamental change. And for every incident of Excessive Force that makes headlines, the ugly truth is that there are countless others that we never hear about. Every day africanamericans and other people of color live in fear of harassment and violence at the hands of some Law Enforcement officers. This is their reality. Our countrys history of racism and racially motivated violence rooted in the original sin of slavery continues to haunt our nation. And to those who do not believe it, please look at the tragic statistics. Africanamericans are more than twice as likely to be shot and killed by police each year. And black men between the ages of 50 and 34 are approximately ten times more likely to be killed by police than other americans. This outrage is a reality we must change. Today we examine the state of policing in america and look for ways to prevent racist acts of violence by Police Officers, to hold accountable those who commit such acts, and to strengthen the trust between Law Enforcement and the communities they serve. On monday, i join karen bass, the chair of the subcommittee and the Congressional Black Caucus in introducing the justice and policing act which would further that cause. The bill is now over 200 cosponsors in the house and 36 cosponsors in the senate. I want to make clear at the outset that the bill is not an indictment of all Police Officers. We must always remember that most Law Enforcement officers do their jobs with dignity, selfless and honor. And theyre deserving of our respect and gratitude for all they do to keep us safe. We owe a debt that can never be paid to the too many officers killed in the line of duty every year. And it is clear that there are many officers including some local Police Chiefs who marched arm and arm with their communities who want to separate themselves from the dangerous behavior of others in the profession. But there are many too many officers who abuse their authority. And we cannot be blind to the racism and injustice that pervades far too many of our Law Enforcement agencies. And injustice that the nation is demanding that we enact meaningful change. This is a systemic problem that requires a comprehensive solution. That is why the justice and policing act takes a wholistic approach that includes a variety of front end reforms to change the culture of Law Enforcement while also holding bad Police Officers accountable to separate them from those with the true ethic to protect and serve. Among other things, the bill would make it easier for the federal government to successfully prosecute Police Misconduct cases. It would ban chokeholds. It would end racial and religious profiling. It would encourage prosecutions independent from local police and it would eliminate the dubious court made doctrine of qualified immunity for Law Enforcement. At the same time, the bill encourages the departments to meet a goal standard in training, hiring, deescalation strategies, bystander duty and use of body cameras and other best practices. It also creates a new Grant Program for communitybased organizations to create local task forces on policing innovation that would reimagine Public Safety so that it is just and equitable for all americans. The goal of this legislation is to achieve a guardian, not warrior model of policing. The justice and policing act is at once bold and transformative to meet the moment that calls for sweeping reform, while also taking a responsible and balanced approach to the many complicated issues associated with policing. I look forward to bringing it before our committee and in short order. To the activists who have been sounding the alarm for years, only to be ignored or greeted with half measures, it is because of your persistence and your determination that we are here today. If there is one thing i have taken away from the tragic events of the last month, it is that the nation demands and deserves meaningful change. We can and should debate the specifics, but at the end of the day, it is the responsibility and the obligation of the house Judiciary Committee to do everything in our power to help deliver that change for the American People. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses, who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience on the many issues we are examining today, and will help guide us in that process. First, i want to address just one witness. Philonise floyd, the brother of george floyd. We are all very sorry for your loss, and we appreciate your being here today to discuss your brothers life. We must remember that hes not just a cause, a name to be chanted in the streets, he was a man, he had a family, he was known as a gentle giant, he had a rich life that was taken away from him far too early, and we mourn his loss. This is a very difficult time for our nation, we have lost more than 110,000 people to covid19, a toll that has fallen disproportionately on people of color. We have lost brave Police Officers and other front line workers who risk their lives to serve their communities. And we have lost george floyd, Breonna Taylor and the many, many other victims of Excessive Force by Law Enforcement. We must act today to honor their memory. I now recognize the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, the gentleman from ohio, mr. Jordan, for his Opening Statements. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to thank all our witnesses for being here today and extend our sympathy to mr. Floyd and miss Underwood Jacobs. We are all so sorry for your loss and for what your families have had to live through and had to endure. Mr. Floyd, the murder of your brother in the custody of the Minneapolis Police is a tragedy, never should have happened, it is as wrong as wrong can be, and your brothers killers will face justice. Miss Underwood Jacobs, the murder of your brother, by the rioters in oakland, is a tragedy, and never should have happened, and it is as wrong as wrong can be, and your brothers killers will face justice. There are 330 Million People in this great country. The greatest nation ever. Not perfect, but the best nation ever. And they understand, they understand the American People understand it is time for a real discussion, real debate, Real Solutions about Police Treatment of africanamericans. Americans also understand that peaceful protests, exercising their First Amendment liberties, honors George Floyds memory and it helps that discussion, that debate and those solutions actually happen. The people of this great country, you know what else they understand, you know what else they get, they understand that there is a big difference, a big difference between peaceful protests and rioting, there is a big difference between peaceful protests and looting, there is a big difference between peaceful protests and violence and attacking innocent people and there is certainly a big difference between peaceful protests and killing Police Officers. You know what else they get . You know what else the American People fully understand . They know as the chairman said the vast, vast majority of Law Enforcement officers are responsible, hard working, heroic, first responders. Theyre the officers who protect the capital, who protect us every single day. Theyre the officers who rush into the twin towers on 9 11, theyre the officers in every one of our neighborhoods, in every one of our communities, every day, every night, every shift they work, they put their lives on the line to keep our community safe. Guess what americans also get, guess what else they understand, they know it is pure insanity to defund the police and the fact that my democrat colleagues wont speak out against this crazy policy is just that frightening. Think about what we heard in the last few weeks, heard the mayor the mayors of our two largest city, mayor garcetti said he wants to defund the police. The mayor of new york said he wants to defund the police. The city council in minneapolis, veto proof majority, says they want to defund the police and abolish the department. This congress started off with the democrats, folks on the left saying we should abolish i. C. E. , then the entire department of homeland security, and now theyre talking about abolishing the police. This is wrong and the American People know it is wrong. We should honor the memory of george floyd and work hard so that nothing like it ever happens again. And we should honor the memory of David Patrick underwood and work hard so that nothing like that ever happens again. Week and a half ago, our mission was clearly stated. 11 days ago in florida, the president of the United States clearly stated what our mission should be. President trump said this, i stand before you as a friend, ally to every american seeking justice, and peace, and i stand before you in Firm Opposition to anyone exploiting tragedy to loot, rob, attack and menace. Healing not hatred, justice not chaos, are the mission at hand. Well said, mr. President. Healing not hatred, justice not chaos, that is our mission. The president is right and i appreciate his leadership. This is the house Judiciary Committee. With its storied history of defending the constitution and the rule of law, lets adopt that mission, healing not hatred, justice not chaos, lets Work Together to make america the great place to continue to make america the greatest nation ever. With that i yield back, mr. Chairman. Thank you, mr. Jordan. I now recognize the chair of the subcommittee on crime, terrorism and homeland security, the gentle lady from california, miss bass, for her Opening Statement. Thank you, mr. Chair. And i want to thank you for your years of leadership on this issue. I know youve been involved for many years supporting Police Reform. And i want it thank you for convening this hearing today. When we saw in minnesota, the slow torturous murder of george floyd by a uniformed officer was an outrage and a tragedy. What we have seen since then, millions of americans marching in the street to demand justice and call for reforms, it has been an inspiration. And minus a few days of violence, it has been peaceful. And it has been in the american tradition. And what we have here today is a hearing in the u. S. Congress to examine policing practices in america and paths to reform and we have an opportunity. What we have seen since then is an opportunity to rethink the nature of policing, an opportunity for meaningful accountability in policing, and it is an opportunity to show the nation and the world that we are listening and that we will act. Too often this debate is framed in terms of citizens versus the police, us versus them, but this is really about the kind of america we all want to see. We all want to be safe in our communities. We all want the police to come to our rescue when were in trouble. We all want to support the brave men and women who put their lives on the line for us every day. And when we interact with police, we all want to be treated with respect, not suspicion. Nobody should be subjected to harassment or Excessive Force, just because of the color of their skin. No one should suffer the indignities of racial rprofilin or be on the end of a deadly chokehold. We should all want for our friends and family and neighbors the same. I introduced with chairman nadler and 200 members of congress hr7120 to justice and policing act. This bold transformative legislation would help reimagine the culture of policing while Holding Accountable those officers who failed to uphold the ethic of serving and protecting their communities. I know later when we do a markup there will be we will entertain an amendment to change the name of the legislation in honor of george floyd. If this had been a law last year, george floyd would be alive because chokeholds would be banned. Branagh ta Breonna Taylor because no knock warrants for drugs would be banned. Tamir rice would have graduated high school this may, because the officer that killed him had been fired from a nearby department and he lied on his application, but this legislation calls for a National Registry so that would not have happened and tamir rice would have graduated high school. I understand the change is difficult, but im certain that Police Officers, professionals who risk their lives every day and theyre just as interested in building a strong relationship with the communities that they serve based on mutual trust and respect as those who rely on their protection are. They want to increase and upgrade the profession and so having national standards, it should never be that you can do a chokehold in one city, and not the in another. There should be basic standards, should be basic accreditation, there should be continuing education, just as there are in so many other professions. When i was at the service yesterday, and when i was there, i looked up at the picture of george floyd and i saw the year that he was born, he was born in 1973. That was an important year in my life because that was the year in los angeles that i joined an Organization Called the coalition against police abuse. That was 47 years ago. Our police chief at the time, we were suffering from a number of victims who had died because of chokeholds. Our police chief held a press conference where he told los angeles that the reason why black people died of chokeholds was because our neck veins were different, they didnt open up as rapidly as normal people. Thats where we were 47 years ago. The question remains for us, though, it was 29 years ago that we saw the rodney king beating, and as an activist at the time, i was sad at the tragedy. It was horrific to see him beat like that. But most of the activists said finally, finally we know well have justice, there is no way these Police Officers are going to get off because the whole world saw what happened. In the civil rights movement, what led to the great change in the end of legal segregation aside from the tens of thousands of people that protested, it was the fact that there were cameras there. The beatings, the treatment of black people in the south had gone on for frankly hundreds of years, but it wasnt until the cameras exposed that that things began to change. And so what has happened in the 29 years since rodney king with the advent of cell phone cameras . We have seen example after example after example, 29 years since rodney king, 20 years since amadou diallo, six years since eric garner, just weeks since the death of george floyd. His death cannot be in vain. I told his brother that his name will live on in history because the tragedy that he suffered has been the catalyst for what i believe will be profound change. And not just change that helps to professionalize Police Departments, not just change that prevents further abuse and deaths, but an opportunity for communities through receiving grants to take a look at their community and say, well, there is all of these issues that we face, why should Police Officers have to address homelessness and Mental Illness. Police officers complain all the time. Theyre not social workers. Thats right. So with these grants, maybe communities can take an opportunity to reenvision what Public Safety is and come up with models, better models to work with police, better models to reduce the problems that wind up needing a Police Officer. So thats what we have an opportunity to do in this congress with this piece of legislation. And i hope that we work for passage of this legislation in the house, it gets through the senate, the president signs it, and in the year 2020 we never, ever, ever see again what we saw a few weeks ago. It wasnt just a tragedy for our country and our nation, but it really was an embarrassment of our nation in front of the entire world, while we hold up human rights in the world, we obviously have to hold them up in our country and with that, i yield. Thank you. Since mr. Ratcliff, the former Ranking Member of the crime subcommittee has left the committee to serve as director of national intelligence, i now recognize the Ranking Member of the subcommittee on the constitution civil rights and Civil Liberties, the gentleman from louisiana, mr. Johnson, for an Opening Statement. Thank you, mr. Chairman. I want to join all my colleagues today in thanking all of our witnesses sincerely for being here and especially mr. Floyd and miss Underwood Jacobs for making the trip amidst such tragedy and difficult circumstances to share your experiences with us. It is very valuable to us and were grateful. Of course, you have our condolences and our profound sadness for your losses. And i and my family and the community of faith that i represent have been praying for you and will continue to do that. Were going to talk about policing practices and reforms today and thats a really important topic. Since this is the First Full Committee Hearing that we have had in judiciary since the tragic death of mr. Floyd, i think it is also important for us to acknowledge here in the beginning what is believed by so many to be a root cause of the persistent challenges we face together as a country, and that is the need for authentic reconciliation in our communities. Everyone here understands the plain and simple truth that racism in any form violates the most fundamental principle of our great nation and the rules of our creator. The central idea of america, lets not forget, is the idea that we boldly declare the selfevident truth that all men are created equal and thus endowed by god with the same inalienable rights. Because were made in the image of god, there are serious implications that come from that, among them the idea that every Single Person has dignity and value. It is not related to the color of our skin or what zip code we live in or what we can contribute to society. Our value is inherent because it comes to us by our creator. Any fool who contends he has a natural right of supremacy over his neighbor violates the foundational creed of america, but the greatest commandments of the god who made him. And if we can ever learn to see one another as god does, i think it will solve a lot of our problems. This act of cruelty has opened an important new dialogue on reform. And while policing has always been regarded as an inherently local function, we do agree that congress has a key role to play in ensuring that abuses are not tolerated and can never happen again. Justice has to be swift. And bad Police Officers have to be held accountable for their actions. But at the same time, we want to be careful to recognize as all my colleagues have this morning that officers like the ones involved in the death of george floyd are not representative of the vast majority of americas Law Enforcement officers. Most are faithful, selfsacrificing Public Servants who put their lives on the line every single day, to protect and serve our communities. We need to honor that and we need to recognize and empower those Law Enforcement officers which is precisely the opposite of the radical dangerous proposals were seeing right now to defund them. A government of, by and for the people must be a nation of law and order and Public Safety, of course, is the key to maintaining our republic. Without that, things like the rioting, looting and violence that has led to the destruction of cities and minority owned businesses ironically would prevail over the valuable peaceful protests that are intended to bring about meaningful change. There is a consensus among every member of this committee, democrat and republican, that there are solutions we can work towards that will restore faith in our institutions and build trust in our communities. From where we sit right now, we believe the most actionable reforms must focus around three Core Concepts to simplify it, transparency, training and termination of those rare bad apples in Law Enforcement who violate law and legitimate sy that upholds our system. This is key to accomplish the goal of keeping our communities safe, upholding the Civil Liberties of individuals and protecting the legitimacy of Law Enforcement. None of these goals that have outlined today are mutually exclusive of course. We can and should clearly condemn the senseless violence we have seen, and all causes of it. From a few bad apples wearing a badge, to the bad actors and anarchists sparking riots and destruction in our streets. At the same time, we can Work Together on meaningful reforms and real results while upholding the respect and appreciation that is due to every American Patriot who faithfully serves us on the thin blue line. I have faith we can Work Together as a committee, this is a bipartisan concern and will have bipartisan solutions, i hope, for the future of our country and for generations of americans to come, we have to do that. I urge my colleagues in this moment, all of us, to hear and to listen to our witnesses and work with each other as friends and fellow americans to understand the need in our communities and foster our discussions on a foundation of civility and mutual respect. We started that, and i hope we can continue it. With that i yield back. Thank you. Without objection, all other Opening Statements will be included in the record. We have an unusually large panel today, but given the broad range of issues that we will be discussing we have invited a broad range of witnesses. As is customary, the minority was given the opportunity to invite witnesses as well, and they have selected mr. Bongino, pastor scott and miss underwood ja jacobs. If the witnesses would please rise, i will begin by swearing you in. Do you swear or affirm under penalty of perjury that the testimony youre about to give is true and correct to the best of your knowledge, information and belief, so help you god . Let the record show that the witnesses answered in the affirmative. Thank you and please be seated. Please note that each of your written statements will be entered into the record in its entirety. Accordingly, i ask you summarize your testimony in five minutes. To help you stay within that time, for those witnesses testifying in person, there is a timing light on your table. When the light switches from green to yellow, you have one minute to conclude your testimony. When the light turns red, it signals your five minutes have expired. For our remote participants, there is a timer on your screen to help you keep track of time. Given the large number of witnesses i will introduce each witness and then invite him or her to give his or her testimony before introducing the next witness. We will begin with mr. Floyd. Philonise floyd is the brother of george floyd, who was killed by minneapolis Police Officers on may 25th. Mr. Floyd has spoken eloquently about his brothers life, and we appreciate his being with us today, having flown to washington to testify before us today directly from his brothers funeral in houston yesterday. We are all so sorry for your loss. Mr. Floyd, you may begin. Thank you. Chairman jerry nadler and members of the Committee Chairman jerry nadler and members of the committee, thank you for the invitation here today to talk about my big brother, george. The world knows him as george, but i called him perry. Yesterday we laid him to rest. It was the hardest thing i ever had to do. Im the big brother now. So it is my job to call for my brothers and my sisters, perrys kids and everyone who loved him, and thats a lot of people. I have to be the strong one now because george is gone. And me being the big brother, now is why im here today, to do what perry always would have done, to take care of the family and others. I couldnt take care of george that day he was killed, but maybe by speaking with you today, i can make sure that his death will not be in vain. To make sure he is more than another face on a tshirt, more than another name on a list that wont stop growing, george always made sacrifices for our family and he made sacrifices for complete strangers. He gave the little he had to help others. He was our gentle giant. I was reminded of that when i watched the video of his murder. He called all the officers sir. He was mild mannered. He didnt fight back. He listened to all the officers. The man who took his life, who suffocated him for eight minutes and 46 seconds, he still called him sir as he begged for his life. I cant tell you the kind of pain you feel when you watch Something Like that, when you watch your big brother, who you looked up to your whole entire life die, die begging for his mom, im tired. Im tired of pain. Pain you feel when you watch Something Like that, when you watch your big brother who you looked up to for your whole life die, die begging for his mom. Im here to ask you to make it stop. Stop the pain. Stop us from being tired. George called for help and he was ignored. Please listen to the call im making to you now. To the calls of our family and the calls ringing out the streets across the world. People of all backgrounds, gender and races, have come together to demand change. Honor them. Honor george and make the necessary changes that make Law Enforcement the solution and not the problem. Hold them accountable when they do something wrong, teach them what it means to treat people with empathy and respect. Teach them what Necessary Force is. Teach them that deadly force should be used rarely and only when life is at risk. George wasnt hurting anyone that day. He didnt deserve to die over 20. Im asking you if that is that what a black man is worth . 20 . This is 2020. Enough is enough. The people marching in the streets are telling you enough is enough. By the leaders, the country needs the right thing. The people elected you to speak for them, to make positive change, georges name means something. You have the opportunity here today to make your names mean something too. If his death ends up changing the world, for the better, and i think it will, then he died as he lived. It is on you to make sure his death is not in vain. I didnt get the chance to say goodbye to perry while he was here. I was robbed of that. But i know hes looking down at us now. Perry look up at what you did. Big brother. You changed the world. Thank you for everything, for taking care of us while on earth, but taking care of us now. I hope you found mama and you can rest in peace with power. Thank you. Thank you, mr. Floyd. Venita gupta is the president and ceo of the Leadership Conference on civil and human rights. All right, everyone, youre watching the Judiciary Committee hold a hearing there on police brutality. You just heard what i would describe as a very emotional plea from the brother of george floyd, excuse me, Philonise Floyd, giving a very powerful Opening Statement there and putting the onus on those members of congress to bring about a change to honor his brothers life. Some very powerful words talking about how he called his brother perry and as i said, saying hes looking down now after changing the world and bringing about a much needed call for action. He said it was painful for him to watch that video and see his older brother as he called him, a gentle giant, begging for his life and still calling those officers sir as they choked the life out of him. I want to bring in back to the conversation eddie glaude and msnbc legal analyst maya wily, University Professor at the new school. Good to have both of you guys with us again. Professor glaude, your thoughts, your reaction to what we heard from George Floyds brother. It was powerful. You get the juxtaposition of black public grief, and political theater. He asked a very poignant question to the members of the house Judiciary Committee, how much is a black mans life worth . 20 . At that point, in the very pointed way, in a very condensed way, he asked a fundamental question, how is black life valued in this country. And he asked that question against the backdrop of what we saw in the Opening Statements. We saw the political theater around policing in the country on full display. You know, jim jordan hit all the signals, right, hit all the spots, in terms of equivalency, between the Police Action and what was happening in the protests, right. The way in which he refused to even think in any sort of way in a subtle and nuanced way about what folks mean by defund the police, we saw representative bass actually invoke, right, redistributing and reinvesting funds at the local level, arrange changing the way we think about policing. We saw that political theater, but it was the grief of George Floyds brother, Philonise Floyd, the grief of his brother that was on full display here and the question that we have to grapple with is how much is a black man or black peoples lives, how much are our lives worth in your eyes. Yeah, thats a very powerful juxtaposition there. Maya, let me pick up on that juxtaposition that eddie picked up on, the messaging that philonise was trying to say that he does not want his brother to be another face on a tshirt, or another name on a list. Yeah. It was a shattering brief opening and it was shattering emotionally as he exhibited this very deep pain and expressed it and it is a pain that is shared by so many black people in this country. And it is so familiar to so many black people in this country. It also shattered it shattered the fearmongering wedge of what we heard from jim jordan and also from mr. Johnson that, you know, using the word rioting, suggesting that we have a law and order problem that must be solved flies in the face of facts. And the fact here are are that we have a every three minutes someone is arrested in this country. Much more likely to be black or latino than white. And of all those arrests, only 5 are for serious crimes. 5 . So when karen bass is talking about a different vision of Public Safety, what she has been saying and is saying and what i think democrats are saying and what i think demonstrators are saying is this is not right because we have had three decades of massive drop in Violent Crime and yet were still policing particularly communities of color, particularly black communities, as if they are war zones. And at the real problem is that 95 of those contacts with police, many of them shouldnt even be happening. And thats what mr. Floyd laid out about what we all saw his brother go through was one of those 95 contacts with police. 20. Not even clear he knew we dont know if he knew he was passing fraudulent bill or not. We dont know if he was guilty of anything or not. And if he was, as he said, 20, that was a you could summons for that if you wanted to. You could hand them something and tell them when to be in court. That is that requires a sea change in how we think about who police are and what theyre supposed to be doing, and i will say to mr. Johnsons points about transparency and training, and real accountability for killings, yes, absolutely, glad we heard those words out of his mouth, here is the problem. That is not enough. Well close out this segment with the powerful words that philonise said there to those members of congress. He said it is on you to make sure his death is not in vain. We certainly hope those members of Congress Hear those words loudly. Eddie glaude, maya, thank you for joining us on this important conversation. Were going to keep an eye on that police hearing on capitol hill and bring you any news when it happens. Up next, chaotic day in voting in georgias primary with voters waiting hours on long lines to cast their ballots in what some are calling a catastrophe, a preview of what might happen in november. Stay with us. Might happen in november stay with us [ ] if you experience bladder leaks, you shouldnt have to sacrifice discretion for protection. Try always discreet. The unique design features protective leakguards, which help prevent leaks where they happen most and an absorbent material that turns liquid into gel, for up to 100 leak free protection. The shapewear design provides a close and seamless fit, to ensure total discretion. Choose the solution that keeps you drier. Try always discreet underwear, with a money back guarantee. Brand power. Helping you buy better. This moment right now. This is our commencement. No, well 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 didnt ask for it. But we are rising to meet it. And how far weve come isnt 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; theres a crack in everything for a reason. How else can the light get in . Tomorrow starts today. Your graduation may look different. But it does not change how far youve come. Or how far youll go. Congratulations, class of 2020 Major Concerns after chaos at the polls on georgias primary day considered a test for the election come november. The november. The Atlanta Journal constitutions front page today headlined complete meltdown. One election official saying hes never seen this scale of what happened in georgia. Polling sites running out of backup ballots and fewer precincts and poll workers because of the coronavirus pandemic. Voters waiting in line for eight hours in at least one area, some not casting their ballot until after midnight. Secretary of state of georgia firing back with these comments. Its not back to the machines. Its training and communicating. We have reports that people inserted cards up sight side down. That gets back to employees didnt understand the system. What were they doing for all these months. Nbcs Blaine Alexander is outside georgias state capitol. What more are you learning about it . Reporter yesterday what happened was a perfect storm. We do know that yesterday was the de jure gentleman rolled out its new voting machines. That was something that georgia watched what was going to happen for months. It just so happens it was rolled out in the middle of a pandemic. When we talk about issues when it comes to yesterdays primary, they really did run the spectrum. Everything from reported technical issues with the machines themselves, concerning confusion over how to actually use those machines to Different Things that people were sending me, different concerns about people some places opening up and other poll places being understaffed. All of that related to what you saw, wait times of three hours, four hours, five hours in fulton and dekalb counties. Those are the areas that are Metro Atlanta. Specifically they happen in areas that are majority black voters. I spoke with a number of those voters yesterday. Here is what they told me. Take a look. Youve been here about three hours. Im not leaving. Why are you so intent upon staying here . Its important. Its important for me. Its important for my son. Its just about 3 30 right now. How long have you been in line . Ive been in line since about 1 08. Once you get in line, most of the people will probably stay. I feel like a lot of people will be texting their friends, how long is the wait . Three hours. Never mind. Im not going to come. Now the secretary of state ayman is investigating what happened before the november general election when nearly twice as many people are expected to cast ballots. Blayne alexander live in atlanta. Thank you for that. Joining me is georgia stated senator nah keep ma williams, chair of the Democratic Party of georgia. Thank you for joining us this morning. You told the New York Times you had 84 Text Messages reporting voting problems within ten minutes, ten minutes of the polls opening. Im sure that continued all day and all night long. What were the biggest themes in the stories you heard come out . The biggest theme was people showing up at their polls and they werent open. We didnt have enough scanners to process votes after they occurred, and this was widespread. I have anti does from at least 25 counties across the state. This isnt just something that is unique to the Metro Atlanta area. This was widespread across the state. We are calling on the secretary of state, when hes doing his investigation, make sure its comprehensive and its statewide because this problem rests with him as the chief elections supervisor in the state of georgia. Weve got to get this right. I was going to say, its a shocking sight to see this happen again in georgia. I was moved by that young black Woman Holding her son, speaking to my colleague, blayne alexander, in the rain. Talk about what drives so many georgia voters in this election to wait up to eight hours to cast their ballot, even in the rain, even in the middle of a pandemic. I understand you yourself spent five hours in line at a voting site where your husband and son waiting in the car. On my tenyear anniversary, i never received our absentee ballot. Thats the failure of the secretary of states office. So many people showed up wanting their voices to be heard. Were in a unique time in this countrys history. Were changing this country and people want to be a part of this change and want their voices to be heard. We should be applauding people for wanting to be a part of our democracy. Here in georgia were continuing to make it harder. Im calling on the secretes office to work with me. Im willing to work with him to get this right. We have ideas. Im willing to work with him. Hes going to have to take ownership for the failures from his office. Spell out the ideas. Those watching this are saying, okay, were a few months away from november. Weve seen this happen in the past. This has become one of the major causes of stacey ab braems organization. There is your son. Is he the one waiting in the car . Yes. Im sorry. He just came downstairs. Absolutely. We kol. Welcome to the conversation. I appreciate that. Seriously, tell us, what do you think realistically can be done to keep this from happening in november . Were grinning back into the legislative session just next monday. We have an elections bill we can start working on right away. We can make sure we have Voting Centers in place. We can make sure were dealing with these signature matches that are still in place across the state. We can make sure that every eligible voter gets an absentee ballot, not these requests where we have to wait and wait for the ballot to be sent back to us. Every voter should just receive a ballot. Were working on making sure our voices are heard and people know were fighting for them here on the ground. There is no excuse for what happened in the state yesterday. But we have to be able to work with the leaders that are in place. When theyre not willing to listen to us, were going to replace them. Certainly appreciate your insights, nikema williams, chair of the georgia Democratic Party. You and your son have a standing invite to come back any time. Sorry about that. By all means, dont apologize. We welcome that. Thank you for joining us this hour. Thanks to all of you at home for watching this hour of msnbc live. Im ayman mohyeldin. After a quick break, more news with my colleague craig melvin. And more one of a kind finds. It all ships free. 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Also voters in georgia and south carolina, many in predominantly black neighborhoods waiting in long lines to vote hours to cast their votes in those primaries. The search for solutions before november. Were staying on top of the house Judiciary Committee hearing on