A leading progressive House Democrat has praised President Biden's recent decision to commute the death sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row. The Democrat, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, described the move as a historic act of compassion that will save lives and address racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
Pressley criticized the death penalty as racist, flawed, and fundamentally unjust, arguing that it disproportionately affects Black and Brown communities without enhancing public safety.
Biden's clemency order impacts nearly all federal death row inmates, with only three individuals, including Dylann Roof and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, remaining on death row.
Among those whose sentences were commuted to life imprisonment are individuals convicted of heinous crimes such as kidnapping and murder. Democrats had urged Biden to exercise his clemency powers following his controversial pardon of his son, Hunter Biden.
President Biden's decision comes in contrast to former President Trump's efforts to expand the death penalty to include drug traffickers and other offenders. During his term, Trump's Department of Justice carried out the first federal executions in two decades.
Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican ally of Trump, criticized Biden's order, accusing Democrats of prioritizing criminals over victims and public safety.
The debate over the death penalty continues to be a contentious issue in American politics, with differing views on its effectiveness and fairness.
