2:51
- ABC News
- June 11, 2020
'Stop the pain,' George Floyd's brother testifies
Philonise Floyd appeared before the House Judiciary Committee.
2:51
Floyd said the way to honor his brother, and others who have lost their lives in police custody, is through reform and accountability.
\"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,\" he said.
\"George wasn't hurting anyone that day. He didn't deserve to die over twenty dollars,\" Floyd continued: \"I am asking you, is that what a black man's life is worth? Twenty dollars?\"
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/philonise-floyd-testify-4-rt-ps-200610_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Floyd noted that while the world knows him as George, he knew his brother as Perry, and looking to the ceiling, he said he hoped his brother was resting -- in power -- with his mother.
\"I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to Perry while he was here. I was robbed of that. But, I know he's looking down on us now. Perry, look at what you did, big brother. You're changing the world. Thank you for everything. For taking care of us when you were on Earth, and for taking care of all of us now,\" he said. \"I hope you found mama and can rest in peace and power.\"
Philonise Floyd to Congress on his brother George Floyd: \"If his death ends up changing the world for the better—and I think it will—then he died as he lived.\"
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) June 10, 2020
\"It is on you to make sure his death is not in vain.\" https://t.co/eJfauJ49VE pic.twitter.com/4TO33oLcAU
Ranking Member, Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, began his opening statement by expressing his sympathies to Philonise Floyd and Angela Underwood Jacobs, the sister of a Federal Protective Services officer who was killed during protests in Oakland, California.
\"Mr. Floyd, the murder of your brother in the custody of the Minneapolis police is a tragedy. Never should have happened. It's as wrong as wrong can be, and your brother's killers will face justice. Ms. Underwood Jacobs, the murder of your brother by the riders in Oakland is a tragedy. It never should have happened,\" Jordan said.
He then shifted his focus on the divide between peaceful protests and looting, echoing the president's rhetoric, as the country has seen demonstrations for the last two weeks.
\"There is a big difference between peaceful protest 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 protest and killing police officers,\" Jordan said.
He also seized the opportunity to criticize Democrats for calls to defund the police, though Democratic leadership has largely called for reform, not a complete dismantling.
\"This Congress started off with the Democrats folks on the left saying we should abolish ICE then move to we should abolish the entire department of homeland security, and now they're talking about abolishing the police,\" Jordan said.
Rep. Jim Jordan says \"it's time for a real discussion, real debate...about police treatment of African Americans.\"
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) June 10, 2020
Jordan also criticizes scattered acts of violence during recent protests and denounces calls to \"defund the police\" as \"pure insanity.\" https://t.co/eJfauJlKNc pic.twitter.com/GPLa1RKwr1
In his opening statement, Nadler outlined what he said is the reality for many black men in America and acknowledged protesters currently demanding change.
\"We are all familiar with the terrifying words, 'I can't breathe.' They were uttered in Minneapolis by George Floyd, while a police officer pinned a knee to his neck. For a chilling eight minutes and 46 seconds, taking from him the final breath of life.
\"Six years ago, Eric Garner uttered those exact same fateful words while locked in a chokehold in New York City. He, too, died at the hands of law enforcement.
\"Millions of Americans now call out I can't breathe as a rallying cry in the streets, all across our country, demanding a fundamental change in the culture of law enforcement and meaningful accountability for officers who commit misconduct,\" Nadler said. \"Today, we answer their call.\"
\"African Americans are more than twice as likely to be shot and killed by police. Each year, and black men between the ages of 15 and 34 are approximately, 10, times more likely to be killed by police than other Americans. This outrage is a reality,\" Nadler said.
\"I want to make clear at the outset that the bill is not an indictment of all police officers,\" Nadler emphasized. \"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.\"
Rep. Jerry Nadler outlines Democrats' sweeping police reform proposal: \"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...that we are here today.\" https://t.co/y4Tr3x6H5K pic.twitter.com/EM2PnCW4a4
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) June 10, 2020
Before concluding, Nadler directly addressed Floyd's brother, Philonise.
\"We must remember that he is 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,\" Nadler added.
\"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,\" he said.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/underwood-floyd-sworn-gty-ps-200610_hpEmbed_21x13_384.jpg\")
Philonise Floyd is wearing a mask as he sits at the witness table.
Though the hearing is taking place in the larger auditorium of the Capitol Visitors Center instead of the usual House Judiciary Committee room, there was little social distancing before the hearing started, with many participants visiting on the floor, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Chairman Nadler has asked that everyone present keep their masks on at all times, unless speaking, citing public health reasons.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/philonise-floyd-pelosi-ap-ps-200610_hpEmbed_3x2_384.jpg\")
A few moments before the hearing got underway, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., signaled to reporters its high stakes, noting public pressure and partisan politics.
\"There's going to be very heavy pressure from the American people. I hope the Republicans will be responsive to that pressure, but we must have real reform, real change and frankly, anybody who stands in the way is going to get bulled over.\"
Though the hearing is taking place in the larger auditorium of the Capitol Visitors Center instead of the usual House Judiciary Committee room, there was little social distancing before the hearing started, with many participants visiting on the floor, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Nadler asked that everyone present keep their masks on at all times, unless speaking, citing public health reasons.
Earlier this week, Democratic leaders introduced a sweeping police reform package on Monday aimed at improving accountability and police training. It would ban police chokeholds, and also require states to gather data on police misconduct, among other provisions.
Republicans have invited three witnesses to Wednesday's hearing, including Dan Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and conservative pundit frequently quoted by President Donald Trump, Darrell Scott, a pastor who served an adviser to Trump's 2016 campaign and several White House advisory councils. Angela Underwood Jacobs, a former congressional candidate and a city council member in Lancaster City, California, and the sister of a Federal Protective Services officer who was killed during protests in Oakland, California, is also expected to testify.
Trump, who has called for justice for Floyd since his death, has also criticized protesters and pledged to support \"law and order.\"
He floated a baseless conspiracy theory on Twitter Tuesday, suggesting that one protestor in Buffalo, New York, hospitalized after being pushed to the ground by police officers, was an \"ANTIFA provocateur,\" a comment widely condemned by Democrats and many Republicans.
Trump and Republicans have also used some activists' calls to \"defund the police\" -- a push generally calling for the reallocation of some police funds to other social services -- to criticize Democrats, though party leaders have made clear that they oppose the idea.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/pelosi3-gty-ml-200608_hpMain_2_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Congressional Republicans are also working with the White House on their own policing reform measures that could improve training and data collection on misconduct, though the details of the proposals have not been finalized.
Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has scheduled a hearing next week on policing reform, telling reporters that he has told his members to \"think big\" in terms of witnesses.
ABC News' Mariam Khan and John Parkinson contributed to this report.
","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/Politics/george-floyds-brother-testify-house-police-brutality-hearing/story?id=71161017","legacySlug":"/news/story/george-floyds-brother-testify-house-police-brutality-hearing-71161017","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"00:20","publishDate":"06-11-2020","updatedTime":"20:38","updatedDate":"05-24-2021","socialImage":{"alt":"George Floyd's brother, Philonise Floyd, gives his opening statement during the House Judiciary Committee hearing on Policing Practices and Law Enforcement Accountability at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., June 10, 2020.","credit":"Michael Reynolds/Pool via Reuters","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/philonise-floyd-testify-4-rt-ps-200610_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"6/11/2020 00:20:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":71161017,"headline":"'Stop the pain,' George Floyd's brother testifies ","mediaAssetTitle":"FLOYD BROTHER TESTIFIES TABLESETTER","description":"Philonise Floyd appeared before the House Judiciary Committee.","duration":"2:51","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/06/200610_abcnl_philonisefloydtestinmony_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["132306053","132266872","132055565"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"April 23, 2026","headline":"Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","section":"News","slug":"/video/132306053","id":"132306053","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Trump orders Navy to 'shoot and kill' any boat laying mines in Strait of Hormuz","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260423_gma_scott_ceasefire3_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 22, 2026","headline":"Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","section":"News","slug":"/video/132266872","id":"132266872","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Fallout after Fed nominee grilled on Capitol Hill","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260422_gma_schulze_fed3_713_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"April 15, 2026","headline":"American influencer found dead in Tanzania","section":"News","slug":"/video/132055565","id":"132055565","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: American influencer found dead in Tanzania","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260415_gma_norwood_ashlee2_732_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"'Stop the pain,' George Floyd's brother testifies ","description":"Philonise Floyd appeared before the House Judiciary Committee.","duration":"2:51","uploadDate":"06-11-2020","publication":"06-11-2020","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/06/200610_abcnl_philonisefloydtestinmony_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2020/06/200610_abcnl_philonisefloydtestinmony_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/george-floyds-brother-testify-house-police-brutality-hearing-71161017"}},"playlist":[{"id":"132281378","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132283010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132273278","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132231169","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132206748","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132200241","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054443","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132054798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"132033010","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131912713","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131830583","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131834976","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554765","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131554815","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131543053","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131432442","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131121474","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131247079","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131228784","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"131178806","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"'Stop the pain,' George Floyd's brother testifies ","pubTime":"20:20","pubDate":"06-10-2020","modTime":"16:38","modDate":"05-24-2021","taxonomyTags":"none","id":71161017,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"'Stop the pain,' George Floyd's brother testifies ","mediaAssetTitle":"FLOYD BROTHER TESTIFIES TABLESETTER","videoId":71161017,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/george-floyds-brother-testify-house-police-brutality-hearing-71161017"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/71161017","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/71161017","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};