WASHINGTON — A coalition of progressive lawmakers, led by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), and Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-Pa.), called on President Biden Monday to exercise his clemency powers before leaving office to address systemic inequities in the U.S. criminal justice system. The push includes pardons or commutations for individuals on death row.
These Democrat leaders are now calling upon Biden to pardon dozens of convicted killers and heinous criminals.
New York City Congressman Jamaal Bowman stood before Congress today to say that President Biden should not stop at pardoning his son Hunter.
In a letter signed by 64 lawmakers, the group urged Biden to use his executive authority to reduce mass incarceration and provide relief to vulnerable individuals impacted by what they called “unjust and unnecessary criminal laws.” They highlighted specific groups, including the elderly, the chronically ill, those facing sentencing disparities, women who acted in self-defense against abusers, and people currently on death row.
“Now is the time to use your clemency authority to rectify unjust and unnecessary criminal laws passed by Congress and draconian sentences given by judges,” the lawmakers wrote. They praised Biden’s past clemency actions, including pardoning individuals convicted of marijuana possession and LGBTQ+ former servicemembers, as examples of leadership on criminal justice reform.
The lawmakers also emphasized the disproportionate impact of mass incarceration on communities of color, low-income individuals, and other marginalized groups, stating that the U.S. has the world’s highest incarceration rate. They noted that nearly two million people are imprisoned across the country, with half of all adults having an incarcerated family member at some point.
The call for clemency also touches on fiscal concerns, citing the high cost of maintaining what the lawmakers referred to as a “bloated prison system.” They argued that reducing the prison population through clemency could not only correct injustices but also alleviate financial strain on the government.
