XPost: alt.drugs.heroin, alt.crime, alt.politics.trump
XPost: sac.politics, alt.politics.republicans, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh
From: leroysoetoro@hrc-rejected.com

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/congress/congress-suddenly-set-to- pass-criminal-justice-reform-bill-as-soon-as-next- week?utm_campaign=wex_widget&utm_source=weeklystandard.com&utm_medium=wex_ widget

After weeks of inaction, Senate lawmakers are suddenly in position to pass
an historic and bipartisan criminal justice reform bill that has attracted
the support of reluctant conservatives, thanks in part to last-minute
changes that are tougher on violent criminals.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced Tuesday his plans to
hold a vote on the bill, and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has pledged
to bring up the Senate-passed version by year�s end, an aide told the Washington Examiner.

�I�m ecstatic,� Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, a lead sponsor of the First Step
Act, told the Washington Examiner. Lee said the vote is scheduled for next week.

Lee's bill is aimed at reducing sentences for nonviolent criminals, a
change that lawmakers on both parties have supported. The changes made to
the bill would block judges from allowing offenders with serious criminal records to be eligible for reduced sentences and prevent serious violent offenders from using time credits to gain an earlier prison release.

Lee�s close Senate ally, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, helped win enough GOP
votes to convince McConnell to take up the measure. Cruz drafted an
amendment to the legislation that he said would exclude violent offenders
from earlier prison release.

The legislation had drawn criticism from some GOP lawmakers because it
appeared to let serious drug dealers and violent criminals escape
mandatory minimum sentencing laws and would have let them use new time
credits to get out earlier.

�I drafted an amendment to exclude violent criminals, to keep the focus on nonviolent drug offenders,� Cruz said in an interview Tuesday. �Both the
White House and bill sponsors accepted my amendment.�

Cruz, once an opponent of the measure, is now a co-sponsor. �I think the
odds are quite high we will have the votes to pass it with a significant bipartisan majority,� he said.

McConnell had been reluctant to take up the bill, despite public support
from President Trump and a push from Trump�s top adviser, Jared Kushner.

But Cruz said �a growing consensus in the conference� finally convinced McConnell to bring the bill for the floor. �The bill sponsors worked in
good faith to address the concerns that I and a number of other senators
had.�

Republican opponents, including Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., argued the bill
would still pave the way for those convicted of carjacking and major drug dealing to get out of prison earlier.

Cotton praised the Cruz amendment but said he remains opposed to the bill.

�Unfortunately, the bill still has major problems and allows early release
for many categories of serious, violent criminals,� Cotton said Tuesday.
�This includes felons who commit violent bank robberies with dangerous
weapons, who assault children, and who commit carjacking with the intent
to cause death. I look forward to debating this bill on the Senate floor
and introducing amendments to address its many remaining threats to public safety.�

Support for the bill has long been in the 70 to 80 vote range, and a
majority of GOP senators are onboard.

Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., announced Monday he would vote for the measure
after �working closely with the Trump administration� on the changes.

�The improved First Step Act will help make our federal prison system fair
to all, while still providing severe deterrents to criminal behavior,�
Perdue said.

Some Republicans haven�t decided how they will vote.

�I�m looking at it,� Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard
Shelby, R-Ala., told the Washington Examiner. �I�m hoping that they are meaningful changes because I�ve said all along we do need real criminal
justice reform, especially for nonviolent people. But we want to make sure
that the violent ones don�t come back on the streets.�

While timing in the House has not been announced by Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the minority whip, told
reporters Tuesday: "I presume ... we will be able to approve it next week.
I�m hopeful that it can move that quickly.�



--
Donald J. Trump, 304 electoral votes to 227, defeated compulsive liar in
denial Hillary Rodham Clinton on December 19th, 2016. The clown car
parade of the democrat party ran out of gas and got run over by a Trump
truck.

Congratulations President Trump. Thank you for cleaning up the disaster
of the Obama presidency.

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp.

ObamaCare is a total 100% failure and no lie that can be put forth by its supporters can dispute that.

Obama jobs, the result of ObamaCare. 12-15 working hours a week at minimum wage, no benefits and the primary revenue stream for ObamaCare. It can't
be funded with money people don't have, yet liberals lie about how great
it is.

Obama increased total debt from $10 trillion to $20 trillion in the eight
years he was in office, and sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood queer
liberal democrat donors.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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