SENATOR ROB PORTMAN JOINS EQUAL ACT AS LEAD REPUBLICAN SPONSOR

Bipartisan, Bicameral EQUAL Act Would Build on Legacy of First Step Act, Eliminate Crack and Powder Cocaine Sentencing Disparity

(Washington, D.C) – Today, Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) became the lead Republican sponsor of the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law (EQUAL) Act in the Senate, joining Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ). The legislation builds on the legacy of the First Step Act and completes the work of more than a decade of bipartisan efforts to roll back the 100:1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine. In response, Holly Harris, President and Executive Director of the Justice Action Network, the country’s largest bipartisan organization advancing criminal justice reform at the state and federal levels, issued the following statement: 

“As we approach the 50th anniversary of the failed ‘war on drugs,’ it is only fitting that Sen. Rob Portman, a stalwart champion for second chances for more than a decade on the Hill, becomes the lead GOP sponsor in the Senate for the EQUAL Act. This historic legislation, which will finally and fully eliminate the unfair sentencing disparity between crack and cocaine offenses, is the natural progression of the First Step Act, signed into law by President Trump in 2018.

“By supporting the EQUAL Act, Sen. Portman solidifies his role as one of the nation’s leading conservative voices on smart drug policies that lead to fairer outcomes, stronger families, and safer communities. He also extends his incredible legacy in bipartisan criminal justice reform, dating back to 2005 and his sponsorship of the Second Chance Act, legislation encouraging reentry programs to help people who have made mistakes turn their lives around. 

“Most importantly, Sen. Portman’s willingness to work across the aisle signals to the Beltway that it is time to put people above partisanship, and heal this divided country. We are grateful to Sens. Portman, Durbin, and Booker for leading on the EQUAL Act, and we encourage their colleagues on both sides of the aisle to follow in their footsteps and pass this historic, long-overdue legislation.” 

The EQUAL Act has already achieved unprecedented bipartisan support in the House, where the bill is led by Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Kelly Armstrong, with support from every faction of the GOP conference, from Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers to Thomas Massie, Nancy Mace to Don Bacon. 

This landmark legislation also has support from groups across the political spectrum, including the National District Attorneys Association, Americans for Tax Reform, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, Prison Fellowship, Due Process Institute, Americans for Prosperity, FAMM, Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition, Digital Liberty, Faith and Freedom Coalition, ALEC Action, R Street Institute, National Association for Public Defense, American Civil Liberties Union, Sentencing Project, Fair Trials, FreedomWorks, Center for American Progress, Drug Policy Alliance, Jesuit Conference, Black Public Defender Association, Dream Corps JUSTICE, Federal Public and Community Defenders, Innocence Project, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, National Legal Aid & Defender Association, Taxpayers Protection Alliance, and Tzedek Association.