according to anonymous sources<\/a>, last week McConnell told the White House during a private meeting that there is likely not enough time to bring the bipartisan bill up for a vote before the end of the year.<\/p>\nMcConnell\u2019s Stalling Has Not Stopped the Pressure, Particularly Pressure from His Own Party<\/h2>\n McConnell\u2019s statement to the White House has seemed to only result in lawmakers from both parties redoubling their efforts to build support for the bill, so McConnell will change his mind about the passage of the First Step Act. Indeed, the pressure on McConnell has grown to an intense level. Here are just a few examples of public statements specifically designed to influence the Senate Majority Leader.<\/p>\n
Last week, the President enthusiastically endorsed the proposed FIRST STEP Act bill, stating that it \u201cwill make our communities safer and give former inmates a second chance at life after they have served their time\u201d and that he would \u201cbe waiting with [his] pen\u201d to sign the legislation. This past Friday, November 23, he said on Twitter that McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer \u201chave a real chance to do something so badly needed in our country . . . [the FIRST STEP Act] would be a major victory.\u201d The President clearly supports the passage of the First Step Act.<\/p>\n
Current House Speaker Paul Ryan indicated that the House would pass the bill once the compromise bill got through the Senate. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Senator Chuck Grassley emphatically urged his GOP colleagues that \u201cNOW is time\u201d to pass criminal justice reform, and that this is \u201ca golden opportunity\u201d to pass a historic bipartisan bill.<\/p>\n
McConnell, however, remains non-committal at best, stating \u201cthe support for, and length of time needed to move the new bill, is not knowable at this moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
This Might Be the Only Chance to get the FIRST STEP Act Across the Finish Line<\/h2>\n It is unclear why McConnell seems adamant on keeping this major criminal justice reform bill off of the Senate floor. Most lawmakers and commentators recognize that this could be the one and only chance for this bill to pass. That is because with the new Democratically controlled House charging into office come January, it is highly likely that more progressive newcomers in the House will not be satisfied with the moderate provisions in the current reform bill.<\/p>\n
With so much energy and bipartisan support behind the FIRST STEP Act, including the White House, it seems like the bill is truly on the verge of becoming law. Only Mitch McConnell stands in the way. Will he remain immovable in the face of such intense political pressure? We can only wait and see.<\/p>\n
To learn more about the First Step Act and its passage, read our First Step Act FAQ<\/a>s.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It could be the most significant step in criminal sentencing and prison reform in a generation. But, the FIRST STEP Act faces one major obstacle standing in the way of passage \u2013 Kentucky Senator and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. And this could be the one and only chance for this historic bill to pass.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":86459,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[343],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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