February 25, 2022 | It has been just over a year since the federal government executed Dustin Higgs — the 13th and last execution in an unprecedented federal killing spree.

Today, the U.S. is at a crossroads when it comes to the federal death penalty. On one hand, President Joe Biden campaigned on a promise to end the practice and in July 2021 placed the country’s first-ever moratorium on federal executions. Yet 44 people still remain on the federal death row, their lives in limbo. 

Meanwhile, Congressional repeal of the federal death penalty has long been considered politically unviable. But in January of last year, lawmakers introduced The Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act (H.R. 262/S. 582) which would abolish capital punishment at the federal level.

Now over a year since the introduction of this legislation and months after the Biden administration’s moratorium announcement, it remains critical that national decision makers hear that ending the federal death penalty is still a priority for Catholics and people of faith.

Ways to Take Action

Catholics can help advance efforts to end the federal death penalty in the following ways:

Sign the Petition to President Biden!

Urge President Biden to commute the sentences of the 44 people currently on federal death row.

Contact Your Members of Congress!

Find out where your members of Congress stand on the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act and report your findings to CMN.