Amid Calls by Pressley, Biden Commutes Sentences of Nearly 2,500 People with Sentencing Disparities

Pressley, Advocates Held Presser Earlier This Week to Urge Biden to Continue Granting Clemency in His Final Days

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued a statement applauding President Biden for using his clemency authority to commute the sentences of nearly 2,500 individuals with sentencing disparities. The President’s action, which follows persistent and ongoing calls from Congresswoman Pressley and others, is the largest clemency announcement of any presidential administration in history.

Earlier this week, Reps. Pressley, along with Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), joined advocates for a press conference on Capitol Hill to renew their calls for President Biden to continue exercising his clemency powers in the final days of his presidency.

“Today, President Biden is taking another historic, transformative, and compassionate step toward healing and reuniting families by commuting the sentences of thousands of individuals serving unjustified lengthy sentences—a direct result of the failed policies of the War on Drugs,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “With this action, President Biden has now issued more pardons and commutations than any President in American history and is demonstrating the power of clemency to address the injustices of our criminal legal system. I thank President Biden for acting boldly and continuing to use clemency to change and save lives. This is what we’ve been calling for and this is the type of leadership the moment demands. This will be a defining part of President Biden’s legacy.”

Congresswoman Pressley has led calls in Congress for President Biden to use his clemency authority to address mass incarceration and has applauded the President for granting clemency to over 1,500 people last month and commended him for commuting the death sentences of 37 individuals on federal death row.

Congresswoman Pressley has been a steadfast champion for a more just and equitable criminal legal system and has introduced legislation to fix our nation’s broken clemency system.

On December 23, 2024, Rep. Pressley commended President Biden for commuting the sentences of 37 individuals on death row and re-sentencing them to life in prison.

On December 12, 2024, Rep. Pressley issued a statement on President Biden’s granting pardons to 39 people and commutations to nearly 1,500 people. Earlier that month, on Human Rights Day, Rep. Pressley joined colleagues and advocates for a press conference to renew their calls for President Biden to use his clemency authority to commute the death sentences of the 40 individuals on federal death row and resentence them to a prison term. 

On June 19, 2023, Juneteenth, Rep. Pressley re-introduced the People’s Justice Guarantee, a comprehensive, decarceration-focused resolution that outlines a framework for a fair, equitable and just legal system.

In October 2022, Rep. Pressley issued a statement applauding President Biden’s executive action pardoning thousands of people for simple possession of marijuana.

In December 2021, Rep. Pressley, along with Reps. Cori Bush (MO-01) and Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) and grassroots advocates, unveiled the Fair and Independent Experts in Clemency (FIX Clemency) Act, historic legislation to transform our nation’s broken clemency system and address the growing mass incarceration crisis. 

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