First Step Act

Floor Speech

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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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