FIRST STEP Act, already compromised to cater to tough-on-crime crowd, may be watered down further for Senate vote

The Washington Post is reporting in this new article, headlined "Senate Republicans mull changes to controversial criminal justice bill," that there is talk of further gutting the few sentencing reform provisions in the latest version of the FIRST STEP Act and creating still further prison reform carve outs.  Here are the details:

Senate Republicans are actively discussing changes to a controversial overhaul of the criminal justice system in a bid to win more GOP support that could nonetheless shatter a delicate bipartisan compromise on one of President Trump’s top legislative priorities left for this year.

The changes being mulled, confirmed by senators and others familiar with the talks, reflect in part proposals put forward by the National Sheriffs’ Association, which is opposed to the legislation as written.  Though a slew of law enforcement groups already support the bill, getting more of them on board is almost certain to improve its prospects among Republicans.

One change that has been discussed privately is tightening the “safety valve” provision, which provides more discretion to judges when they issue sentences.  Though the most recent public draft of the bill would allow judges to take advantage of those “safety valves” in more types of cases, Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) said senators are talking about reducing the types of convictions that would qualify for the “safety valve” provision.  Perdue also said senators are considering narrowing the kinds of fentanyl-related crimes that would be eligible under the legislation, which broadly is meant to loosen some mandatory minimum sentences and help rehabilitate prisoners.

“I’m probably going to be supportive of it,” said Perdue, who was a vocal opponent of a more expansive version of the legislation two years ago. “It does some things that we’ve been talking about that Georgia and North Carolina and Texas have done, with good results.”

A provision that gets rid of the “stacking” regulation — which is used to add more penalties against those who commit a drug-related crime while possessing a gun, even if the firearm wasn’t used — is also ripe for potential changes to win over Senate Republicans.

The changes under negotiation reflect the messy, closed-door horse-trading that will only grow as Senate leaders begin gauging support for the bill this week, even if attempts to change the legislation are ultimately unsuccessful.  Senate Democrats, who believe they have already made significant concessions, aren’t eager for more changes that would push the bill further to the right, considering it already has Trump’s endorsement and appears it could easily pass the House.

“I’m aware of the discussions, but we have a strong commitment on both sides of the aisle, including the White House, that the bill is what it is,” Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.), one of the main Democratic authors of the bill, said Monday evening of the changes being discussed. “I believe we should all be standing pat and firm.”

The bill’s supporters — both Republicans and Democrats — are also rushing against the clock, scrambling to get the measure signed into law this year before Democrats gain control of the House.  The new majority, particularly the generation of lawmakers partly elected on a message of racial justice, could be more emboldened to push for more sweeping changes than the limited overhaul, upsetting the compromise.

Another change that has been floated privately is including additional categories of sex offenders in the group of inmates who would be ineligible for early release, according to one Senate official....

While the discussions continue, the ranks of publicly opposed senators are growing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has been privately speaking with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) — two of his closest allies — but stressed Monday that while he is on board with the overhaul to the prison systems and recidivism programs, he is concerned about the proposed changes to sentencing laws. “Now that we’re getting to the guts of it, I need to have a better understanding,” Rubio said. But “as of now, I can’t support it, given my understanding of it.”

Trump, meanwhile, has not wavered from his public commitment to the First Step Act and overhauling the criminal justice system — the subject of a Monday roundtable in Mississippi that was sandwiched between two campaign rallies. After endorsing the bill with much fanfare at a White House ceremony this month, Trump again pushed Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for a floor vote in a private phone call last Tuesday, according to people briefed on the conversation.

“Well, we’re talking to him, and we’re doing a count,” Trump said Monday in Mississippi of his discussions with McConnell. “We want to make sure that we have the votes because we don’t want to bring it if we don’t have the votes, but another thing we’re looking at right now is that we have more than enough. So at a certain point, we’ll have a talk. But we have the votes, and I’m sure that we’ll be voting soon.”

Especially in light of this new reporting, it is worth watching how Prez Trump talked up the FIRST STEP Act again at this Mississippi roundtable event Monday night, and also worth noting how VP Mike Pence and Senator Lindsay Graham also talked up the bill.  Because of how much Prez Trump seems to be leaning into this legislation, I now think it would be a big loss for him if there isn't a vote on the bill (and Prez Trump himself said at the roundtable event the bill could get 80 votes in the Senate).  So, based on all of this buzz, I am now thinking a Senate vote is going to happen, but that Senator Cotton and perhaps a few other hardliners will find various ways to continue watering down the bill up until a vote finally goes forward.

As I have said repeatedly in this space, any positive reform is better than no reform.  So I am continuing to hope we see a bill become law in the weeks ahead.  But I also hope everyone supporting of real reforms takes to heart that this bill will be, as it name connotes, just a small first step in a very long path toward needed federal criminal justice reforms.

Some of many prior related posts:

• House Judiciary Committee approves FIRST STEP Act by a vote of 25-5 after lots of discussion of amendments
• FIRST STEP Act passes US House of Representatives by vote of 360-59(!), but its fate in Senate remains uncertain
• Interesting new US Sentencing Commission analysis of possible impact of Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2017
• Prez Trump pledges to sign prison reform that will be "best in the world"
• Large group of former prisoners urge Senate leaders to move forward with FIRST STEP Act
• FAMM provides detailed review of SRCA sentencing provisions most likely to be added to FIRST STEP Act
• Senator Cotton delivers faulty arguments to prop up faulty federal sentencing system
• Could enhanced FIRST STEP Act get more than 90 votes in the Senate if ever brought up for a vote?
• Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promises floor vote on FIRST STEP Act after midterm election if more than 60 Senators want to move forward
• Prez Trump reiterates support for prison reform and says AG Jeff Sessions "gets overruled by me"
• Prez Trump reportedly to announce support for FIRST STEP Act with sentencing provisions, greatly increasing its prospects for swift passage
• Senator Tom Cotton, rather than argue against FIRST STEP Act, makes case for what should be in a SECOND STEP Act
• Four changes to the FIRST STEP Act sought by Senator Tom Cotton
• Senator Tom Cotton continuing to do everything he can to try to keep the FIRST STEP Act from moving forward 
• A notable debunking of "Three Myths From Critics of Criminal Justice Reform"

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