The death penalty may fully return to Washington, D.C., if a bill introduced by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) on Thursday becomes law.
The legislation intends to bring back capital punishment to the federal district for the “most heinous crimes,” according to Mace’s office. The death penalty would apply to first-degree murder, terrorism, murder of a law enforcement officer or public safety employee, first-degree child sexual abuse, and the distribution of deadly drugs resulting in the death of a minor, among other crimes.
In 1980, the D.C. Council voted to abolish the death penalty in the city. The repeal has remained in effect since 1981, though there was a chance the move could have been overturned by voters over a decade later.
In 1992, residents of the district voted on a referendum that would have restored the death penalty. However, the referendum was unsuccessful.
“Our nation’s capital will not be a safe haven for the most violent criminals in America,” Mace told Breitbart News. “Criminals need to know there are consequences for their actions. Some crimes are so evil they deserve the ultimate punishment. It’s time to put the death penalty back on the table and stop giving the worst criminals a second chance to hurt innocent Americans.”
If enacted, the bill would establish procedures for determining when the death penalty is justified in certain criminal cases and outline aggravating and mitigating factors for consideration. The measure would also require a separate sentencing hearing when the federal government seeks the death penalty.
The default execution method would be electrocution under the bill, but the convicted defendant will be given the option to choose death by lethal injection, firing squad, lethal gas, or nitrogen hypoxia as an alternative method.
The last execution in the nation’s capital occurred in 1957 when Robert Carter was electrocuted for killing an off-duty police officer.
“We are sending a clear message: the era of coddling violent criminals is over,” Mace said. “If you murder a law enforcement officer or commit the most horrific crimes against a child, you should face the ultimate consequence. No excuses. No second chances.”
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In September 2025, President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum to partially reinstate the death penalty in Washington, D.C., for federal crimes.
Mace’s bill would make it harder for a future Democratic administration to abolish the death penalty again, for a presidential memorandum can easily be revoked by a succeeding president.