WATCH: Congressional Democrats unveil police overhaul plan

House and Senate Democrats proposed a sweeping overhaul of police oversight and procedures Monday, a potentially far-reaching legislative response to the mass protests denouncing the deaths of black Americans  at the hands of law enforcement.

Watch lawmakers introduce the legislation in the video player above.

“We cannot settle for anything less than transformative structural change,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, drawing on the nation’s history of slavery.

The Justice in Policing Act would limit legal protections for police, create a national database of excessive-force incidents and ban police choke holds, among other changes, according to an early draft. It is the most ambitious change to law enforcement sought by Congress in years.

Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, which is leading the effort, called the proposal “bold” and “transformative.”

“The world is witnessing the birth of a new movement in this country,” Bass said.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators nationwide have been protesting in the streets since George Floyd was killed May 25 for an end to police violence.