Nancy Pelosi was forced to clarify her comments after she thanked George Floyd for 'sacrificing your life for justice'.
The Speaker of the House made the remarks after Derek Chauvin was found guilty of the murder of the 46-year-old during his arrest last May.
Police officer Chauvin was found guilty of three counts of murder and manslaughter following the death of the black man last year.
Many questioned her choice of words at a press conference at Capitol Hill with members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Referring to the video of the ex-cop kneeling on Floyd's neck for almost nine minutes, she said: "Thank God the jury validated what we saw.
"Thank you George Floyd for sacrificing your life for justice, for being there to call out to your mom.
"Because of you and because of thousands, millions of people around the world who came out for justice, your name will always be synonymous with justice."
She later tweeted a clarification of her remarks after some labelled her comments "bizarre".
She posted: "George Floyd should be alive today. His family’s calls for justice for his murder were heard around the world.
"He did not die in vain. We must make sure other families don't suffer the same racism, violence & pain, and we must enact the George Floyd #JusticeInPolicing Act."
Mrs Pelosi confirmed she spoke to the Floyd family on Tuesday afternoon.
"Around three o'clock I spoke to the family, to say to them: thank you. God bless you for your grace and your dignity," she said.
Floyd's death in Minneapolis nearly a year ago sparked a wave of Black Lives Matter protests around the world.
But there were scenes of jubilation as crowds spilled out onto the streets to cheer the historic verdict.
Chauvin denied all charges against him, including second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.
He was found guilty of all charges by the jury who returned the verdict on Tuesday.
President Joe Biden said: "This systemic racism has left a stain on our nation's soul. Today's verdict is a step forward.
"We can and we must do more to ensure this type of tragedy doesn't happen again.
"Nobody should be above the law. We must restore trust."
