Prison reform bill might need revision
Some in GOP resist bid to alter sentencing rules
WASHINGTON — Republican senators debated the path forward for an overhaul of the nation’s criminal sentencing laws Tuesday after a visit from Vice President Mike Pence, suggesting parts of the bill may need to be rewritten before Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will hold a vote.
Pence and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, visited Capitol Hill on Tuesday to push for the bipartisan criminal justice overhaul, which would boost rehabilitation efforts for federal prisoners and give judges more discretion when sentencing nonviolent offenders, particularly for drug offenses.
But despite support from the
White House and a swath of GOP senators, Mcconnell has yet to agree to take up the legislation. Other senators in his caucus have objected to it, saying it would be too soft on drug offenders amid a national drug epidemic. Opponents have also voiced concerns that it could let some violent offenders out of prison.
Senators who emerged from the closed-door luncheon with Pence and Kushner said the legislation might need small tweaks before moving forward — potentially dimming the bill’s prospects, as Congress has limited time left this year.
South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the No. 3 Republican, said whether senators will be able to resolve their differences on the bill is “still an open question.” He said he was among the lawmakers who were still undecided.
Thune didn’t say what those changes would be, but South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham said there was a feeling in the room that “if we can clearly make sure that we not letting out early violent offenders, we’re where we need to be.”
A rare bipartisan coalition is advocating passage of the criminal justice bill, which would revise 1980s and ’90s-era “tough on crime” laws. Supporters say the changes would make the nation’s criminal justice system fairer, reduce overcrowding in federal prisons and save taxpayer dollars.