December 24, 2024
Rep. Ayanna Pressley Thanks President Biden Amid Historic Act Of Clemency
Pressley says Biden's clemency action will save lives and address the death penalty which has been weaponized against Black and brown people.
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley commended President Biden’s recent clemency action to commute the sentences of 37 individuals facing the death penalty, calling the decision a historic and groundbreaking act of compassion in a statement on Dec. 23.
In Tuesday’s statement, Pressley said Biden’s historic act of clemency “will save lives, address the deep racial disparities in our criminal legal system, and send a powerful message about redemption, decency, and humanity.” She added, “The death penalty is a racist, flawed, and fundamentally unjust punishment that has no place in any society. For far too long, it has been disproportionately weaponized against Black and brown communities, exacerbated systemic inequities, and failed to make America any safer—which is why we’ve urged the president for years to work with us to abolish the federal death penalty.”
The Congresswoman dedicated the victory to the organizers, advocates, impacted families, and allies for their commitment to address mass incarceration in the fight for a more just criminal legal system. “It is their unwavering commitment to the dignity and humanity of every person that has made this moment possible,” she added.
The action follows President Biden’s decision to grant his son, Hunter Biden, clemency earlier this month. BLACK ENTERPRISE previously noted that the president was urged to do the same for Americans serving unjust sentences. The Congresswoman and other members of Congress issued a letter to address the incarceration crisis, which noted the exorbitant amounts of money used to keep Americans imprisoned for extended periods, including those facing unjust convictions and facing federal death row.
On Human Rights Day, Dec. 10, Rep. Pressley and other advocates renewed their call for President Biden to use his clemency authority to commute death sentences for individuals and re-sentence them to life in prison. President Biden pardoned 37 people with nonviolent crimes and commuted the sentences of nearly 1,500 others, according to BE.
The Congresswoman has led advocacy efforts to abolish the federal death penalty through initiatives that include her Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act and her People’s Justice Guarantee. In 2020, Pressley led lawmakers in a letter calling on President-elect Joe Biden to uphold the commitments of his criminal justice plan and eliminate the death penalty.
Pressley thanked President Biden after Tuesday’s statement as she urged him to continue using his clemency power throughout his presidency.
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