Democratic members of Congress have urged President Joe Biden to use his executive powers to commute the sentences of federal death row inmates in order to save lives. They reiterated previous calls to end the use of the death penalty at the federal level and reintroduced legislation to ban it in 2023. There are currently 40 men on federal death row whose sentences could be commuted to life in prison by Biden. Critics fear that the incoming Trump administration may restart federal executions, like what happened during the final months of the previous Trump administration. Advocates argue that the death penalty is a cruel, racist, and flawed punishment that disproportionately affects Black, brown, and low-income families. They believe that commuting these death sentences would be a way for Biden to control his legacy and show his commitment to justice and fairness. The push for death row commutations also comes amid rumors of Biden considering preemptive pardons for individuals targeted by the Trump administration. Activists view this as an opportunity for Biden to demonstrate his willingness to protect vulnerable individuals and ensure a more just criminal justice system. Members of Congress at the press conference stressed that using his clemency power is not just a tool for Biden, but his responsibility as president.
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