Pressley: Biden 'must act' on clemency before leaving office

Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) is renewing calls for President Biden to grant clemency to thousands of Americans serving time in federal institutions following his bombshell pardon of his son, Hunter Biden.

“Today, I’m thinking of the hundreds of thousands of people who pose no threat to society and whose lives are deteriorating due to America’s mass incarceration crisis and unjust criminal legal system,” Pressley said in a statement Monday.

“President Biden used his pardon authority last night in response to what he saw as an injustice of the legal system,” she continued. “In the remaining days of his presidency, I have called on President Biden to use his clemency power to change the lives of families across this nation — families who are disproportionately Black and brown, with loved ones behind the wall, suffering from injustices of the legal system.”

Pressley has long been an advocate for criminal justice reform and has previously called on President Biden to grant clemency to those serving time for nonviolent offenses.

Last month, she joined Democratic Reps. James Clyburn (S.C.) and Mary Gay Scanlon (Pa.) in sending a letter to Biden urging him to take action before the end of his term. 

She also introduced the FIX Clemency Act in 2021, which would transform the clemency system and address the growing mass incarceration crisis.

“This issue is deeply personal to me. As the daughter of a formerly incarcerated parent who has gone on to make great contributions to society, I know firsthand how life-changing the President’s action would be and how much hope it would give to millions who call America home,” Pressley said Monday. 

“Today, with 49 days remaining in his presidency, President Biden has an opportunity to cement his legacy as one of the most compassionate and impactful Presidents of our time. For the families harmed by mass incarceration, he must act.”