Dozens of members of Congress urge Biden to prohibit use of federal death penalty

A group of Congress members is calling for President-elect Joe Biden to prohibit the use of the death penalty after a recent execution in Indiana sparked backlash. 

In a letter sent to Biden on Tuesday, Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley urged him to "stop all federal executions, prohibit United States Attorneys from seeking the death penalty, dismantle death row at FCC Terre Haute, and call for the resentencing of people who are currently sentenced to death."

Over three dozen members of Congress signed the letter, calling for Biden to adopt his campaign promise of creating a moratorium on the federal death penalty. The letter urged the former vice president to sign an executive order prohibiting the penalty on his first day in office.