In what could be a major bipartisan victory for President Donald Trump, the Senate passed a sweeping criminal justice reform bill that will tackle early release for federal prisoners and sentencing guidelines.
In an 81-12 vote, the First Step Act passed in the Senate on Tuesday and received support from both progressives and conservatives, according to the BBC.
The House of Representatives is expected to review the bill on Wednesday; it’s expected to pass the House, and Trump has indicated that he will sign the criminal justice reform bill into law.
“This will keep our communities safer, and provide hope and a second chance, to those who earn it. In addition to everything else, billions of dollars will be saved. I look forward to signing this into law,” he wrote on Twitter.
….This will keep our communities safer, and provide hope and a second chance, to those who earn it. In addition to everything else, billions of dollars will be saved. I look forward to signing this into law!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018
The bill, which would impact only federal prisoners, who represent 10 percent of the nation’s prison population, would grant some inmates to seek early release and give federal judges more power with regard to minimum sentencing. It would also tackle the “three-strike” rule for drug felons, who would see sentencing go from life in prison to 25 years.
Criminal justice reform was pushed by Trump’s senior advisor and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who helped enlist Kim Kardashian West and CNN personality Van Jones to persuade the president to support the legislation, CNN reports.
