Can Biden abolish the death penalty?
On Wednesday, February 3 at 19:30GMT:
Joe Biden was the first presidential candidate in US history to run on a pledge to end the federal death penalty and win. But now that he’s president will he make good on a campaign promise that sharply divides opinion?
In his final months as president, Donald Trump ordered the federal executions of 13 people. Six of those deaths came after the November presidential election with three taking place just days before Biden’s inauguration. Last year marked the first time in US history in which a greater number of executions were carried out at the federal level than in all states combined.
Twenty-two states have abolished the death penalty and President Biden plans to incentivize the other 28 to follow suit as part of his legislative plan.
On this episode of The Stream, we speak with repeal advocates about the impact ending capital punishment could have and why they say there is no time to lose.
In this episode of The Stream, we are joined by:
Sandra Babcock, @sandralbabcock
Founder, Cornell Center on the Death Penalty Worldwide
Robert Dunham, @DPInfoCtr
Executive Director, Death Penalty Information Center
deathpenaltyinfo.org
Herman Lindsey, @WTIUSA
Board Secretary, Witness to Innocence (WIT)
witnesstoinnocence.org