News From Congressman Espaillat

Representative Adriano Espaillat Introduces the Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2019

Rep. Adriano Espaillat, joined by seven of his colleagues, introduced comprehensive legislation repealing the death penalty for a range of criminal offenses under United States Federal Criminal Code, the Immigration and Nationality Act, the Controlled Substances Act, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. In addition, the bill converts the sentences of those currently on death row into a sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and it further prohibits the sentencing of death as a penalty for any pending or future violations of Federal law.

“The Death Penalty is an immoral practice and it should be abolished,” said Rep. Adriano Espaillat. “I strongly believe that decisions of whether a person should live or not are not to be made by a government, let alone one such as ours that is founded on the inalienable rights of individuals.

“There are myriad reasons to oppose the death penalty. One of the most crucial is the heavy racial bias of those on death row, and the fact that death sentences are disproportionately handed out if the victim is white, but the alleged perpetrator is not. No instance better demonstrates this than the story of the Central Park Five. People on death row can be found innocent and exonerated. But if executed, there is no turning back. This uncomfortable truth has been a stain on America’s justice system for too long, and it must come to an end.

“The list of reasons to oppose the death penalty could go on, from its cost to the taxpayers to its improper use on those with mental illness. But when it comes down to it, there need only be one reason: it is morally wrong. It is wrong for a government to decide to take the life of another person as recompense for a crime committed, no matter how heinous.

“The death penalty forgets a core tenet of humanity – human beings change. Humans have an immense capacity to learn, to heal, and to grow. Executing someone denies this principle and gives no course for a human being to change. A person is not defined by the worst choice they made, but the death penalty only views someone’s life through this narrow lens. And what’s more – it undermines the core vision upon which this nation was founded.

Representative Adriano Espaillat Reiterates His Call for the Impeachment of President Donald Trump Following Mueller Testimony

President Trump Lied to the American People and He Must Be Held Accountable

Representative Adriano Espaillat  reiterated his call to impeach President Donald Trump. In light of Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s testimony before Congress, Rep. Espaillat released the following statement:

“As an original cosponsor of the first resolution calling for the impeachment of Donald J. Trump, I reiterate my support for holding him accountable as he has obstructed justice, violated the Constitution, and undermined the independence of our nation’s judicial system,” said Rep. Espaillat. “I have long believed that Donald Trump was unfit for the highest office in our land for a number of reasons, and I believe the evidence laid out in Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s report, followed by his testimony to Congress, has bolstered this belief and the next steps we must take in order to hold President Trump accountable.

“During his testimony, former Special Counsel Mueller presented the American people an opportunity to hear from him firsthand about his investigation into Russia’s interference in our election and President Trump’s efforts to obstruct justice. Mr. Mueller stated clearly that his report does not exonerate President Trump, and that his investigation did find evidence that the President obstructed justice, it was not a witch hunt. 

“Mr. Mueller’s report uncovered the truth behind one of the most serious attacks on our democracy in our history and revealed that Russia waged an all-out, systematic assault on the 2016 elections to benefit Donald Trump.  Trump and his campaign team eagerly welcomed and even encouraged this attack and took calculated steps to obstruct the investigation and cover up the truth about their involvement with Russia.

“I continue my calls for impeachment because it is without a doubt that the Trump Administration has engaged in unparalleled abuses of power and corruption while hiding the truth from the American public.  President Trump said he would again accept campaign help from the Russian government to win the 2020 election, and he equates working with Russia as a form of diplomacy. The fact that the President would undermine our democracy, betray our country, and jeopardize our national security to accept assistance from a foreign adversary to disrupt our elections should alarm all Americans.

“Donald Trump, aided by Attorney General Barr and his Republican allies, has become increasingly defiant in the face of legitimate oversight authority vested in Congress.  No individual is above the law, not even the president of the United States, and if the only way to hold Donald Trump accountable is through impeachment, then that is what we are obligated to do.”