Senate Passes Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform Bill Aiming To Reduce Mass Incarceration

On Tuesday, the Senate passed a bipartisan bill for criminal justice reform. Several politicians were hoping to make progress on this front prior to the year ending, including many senators and President Donald Trump. The president declared his support for the bill last month.

Jared Kushner, Trump’s senior advisor and son-in-law, has held criminal justice reform as a premiere focus for him. Kushner has supported the bill for months, lobbying senators to help pass it.

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The legislation, which includes a prison reform component that hopes to minimize recidivism by adjusting various sentencing laws and prison sentences, was passed by 87 to 12 votes. Senators voted on the legislation on Tuesday evening, although Republicans strived to adjust the bill prior to then. Twelve GOP members decided against voting for the bill. All Senate Democrats, like Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J., pictured), supported the measured the measure.

Paul Ryan has expressed his support for the bill, tweeting how the “House looks forward to sending it to the president to become law.”

Criminal justice reform is about giving more Americans a chance at redemption. The House looks forward to sending it to the president to become law.

— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) December 19, 2018

Trump, likewise, took to Twitter to expressed his enthusiasm, writing how this bill “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.”

….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 House is expected to vote on the Senate’s iteration of the bill at a later time.