[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 199 (Tuesday, December 18, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S7739]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             FIRST STEP ACT

  Mr. SCHUMER. Later this afternoon, the Senate will likely vote on a 
package of amendments and then final passage of bipartisan criminal 
justice reform. I wholeheartedly support the bill and intend to vote 
yes on final passage later today.
  Among other important changes, the legislation will give judges more 
discretion in sentencing for low-level, nonviolent drug offenders who 
cooperate with the government. It will provide more support and new 
incentives for prisoners to participate in programming or other 
productive activities that will better prepare them to return to 
society as productive individuals, and it will effectively end the 
practice of juvenile solitary confinement and the cruel shackling of 
pregnant prisoners.
  Despite what some of the opponents of the bill claim, the legislation 
is certainly not a ``get out of jail free'' card for violent criminals 
or sex offenders. That is simply not true.
  Rather, the bill makes smart changes to our criminal justice system 
in ways that make it more fair, more humane, and more just. Individuals 
serving time in prison for these low-level prison crimes--nonviolent 
drug offenders--will eventually be released.
  It is in the interest of both currently incarcerated individuals and 
the communities to which they will eventually return to ensure we are 
doing everything in our power to set them up for successful 
reintegration into our society so that they don't commit another crime. 
It is very important and the right thing to do. We need workers. We 
need productive citizens. We can't take 5 percent of America and just 
write them off. This bill says that we can't.
  I want to commend so many people who did such good work on this bill. 
I want to thank my colleague Senator Durbin. This has been a passion of 
his for many years. I want to thank Senator Booker, who was principled. 
He knew when to hold, knew when to fold. That is why we have such a 
good bill. I want to thank Senator Whitehouse, who worked really hard 
to make sure those in prison would get the kind of training and drug 
treatment they need so that they can be successful and productive 
citizens when they get outside.
  I want to thank some of our Republican colleagues--the Senator from 
Iowa and the Senator from Utah--who had the courage to stand up and do 
the right thing here. There will be those on either side who object to 
things that were left out or included in the bill. As I say often, that 
is the nature of compromise. You can't let the perfect be the enemy of 
the good.
  This bill, with strong bipartisan support, should pass this afternoon 
with strong bipartisan majorities.

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