WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), Chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, on April 20, released the following statement after the jury voted to convict Derek Chauvin on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd:

“As I watched the video of Derek Chauvin kneeling on George Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes, it was clear to me that the American public was witnessing a murder. Today’s verdict affirms that.

“We cannot sit idly by and allow any other Black Americans to be killed by the police due to the color of their skin.

“We need systemic, bold, and comprehensive reform of our criminal justice and policing systems. The House passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act in March, and now the Senate must do the same. And even after this bill becomes law, we still have more work to do. We need to invest in communities that have been overpoliced and in programs that aim to cut the school to prison pipeline. We need to look towards programs that dispatch mental health professionals when someone is in a mental health crisis rather than criminalizing this behavior. And we need to pursue the people-to-people work that can help our communities by addressing systemic racism and bias head on.

“Nothing will ever bring George Floyd back to his family. However, the tireless work of millions of Americans marching for justice along with today’s verdict is a step in the right direction.”