The New York Times: Senate Democrats Face Power Struggle for Top Judiciary Job

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Mr. Durbin also pointed to his ability to work with Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, who will be either the top Republican or chairman of the panel, particularly on a criminal justice overhaul that became law in 2018. Mr. Durbin negotiated an agreement with Mr. Grassley on reducing sentences for nonviolent offenders despite the Iowan’s own reservations and pressure to drop the contentious provisions to advance the rest of the legislation.

“Very few people thought we could pass sentencing reform as part of First Step,” said Holly Harris, the president of Justice Action Network, a bipartisan criminal justice reform organization. She credited Mr. Durbin with keeping the sentencing aspects alive: “Because of him, criminal justice reform took a first step rather than a timid stumble.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/26/us/politics/senate-democrats-judiciary.html