Hoping to seize on a moment of opportunity, President Barack Obama is pushing for bipartisan action to change the criminal justice system in ways that go far beyond the limited executive powers he’s used to reduce harsh prison sentences for dozens of non-violent offenders.

In a speech to the NAACP’s annual convention in Philadelphia on Tuesday, the president called for legislative action to reduce unduly harsh sentences, eliminate disparities in the way justice is applied and lessen taxpayer costs to house prisoners.