WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) issued the following statement in response to the jury finding Derek Chauvin guilty of murder. 

“Around this country and across the globe, people watched with horror as Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and 29 seconds,” said Houlahan. “Today, the jury came back with what I believe was the only acceptable verdict – Derek Chauvin is guilty of murder.

“And while I am grateful for this verdict, I hesitate to call it justice.

“Justice would be a society where Black people can live their lives safely and free from fear of police violence, free from being targeted by those whose job it is to protect. In a just America, George Floyd would be alive today.

“But we do not live in a just America. Not yet. While we have made progress, we must look towards a fairer future, one in which justice is afforded to every single American, regardless of skin color.

“A just country means a country where every American has access to quality health care, education and housing. The criminal justice and policing systems do not exist in a vacuum – each of these issues are interconnected, and for true reform to occur, we must work aggressively to build more equitable systems that recognize and account for the vast racial disparities that still exist in this country.

“That is the justice we in Congress must fight for. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act still awaits action in the U.S. Senate. We need a Senate that is committed to rooting out systemic racism, and that commitment starts with taking up this legislation.

“Lastly, today I am thinking of George Floyd’s family. It is important for us all to remember that George Floyd was a father to five children, a son to George and Cissy and a brother to four siblings. What this family has endured this past year is unimaginable to so many of us, particularly as white Americans. Over this past year, George Floyd has become a symbol, representing the countless Black lives that have been lost at the hands of police. Throughout this entire year, George Floyd’s family has conducted themselves with dignity as they have led a call for justice.

“We owe George Floyd, his family and the entire Black community a resounding answer to that call for justice, to that call for equity.”

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