This Monday: Historic Criminal Justice Reform on House Floor

Bipartisan Drug Sentencing Reform Bill Championed by Rep Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) & Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) Has Broad, Deep Support from House Republicans, House Democrats & Law Enforcement

BILL PASSED HOUSE JUDICIARY LAST MONTH WITH 36-5 VOTE

 (Washington, DC) – Today, House Leadership announced the EQUAL Act will come to the House floor on Monday, September 27. The bipartisan bill builds on the success of the 2018 First Step Act by finally ending the powder vs. crack cocaine sentencing disparity that has decimated poor and black communities and is a final, pernicious vestige of the failed War on Drugs. The bill, championed by two rising stars in their respective caucuses, enjoys broad, deep support from House Republicans, House Democrats and law enforcement, including the Major Cities Police Chiefs and the National District Attorneys Association, and recently passed a House Judiciary vote by a 36-5 margin, drawing support from Ranking Member Jim Jordan, Rep. Louie Gohmert, ardent conservatives in the Freedom Caucus, and centrist and progressive members alike.

Please credit the following statement to Holly Harris, President and executive Director of Justice Action Network, the country’s largest bipartisan organization dedicated to criminal justice legislation at the federal and state level, a key driver of the First Step Act and, now, the EQUAL Act:

“I urge members of both parties to come together on Monday to pass the EQUAL Act with a strong, bipartisan vote. Let’s show America that Republicans and Democrats can reach across the aisle to pass historic legislation that positively impacts thousands of people.

“The EQUAL Act, decades in the making, has strong support from law enforcement, faith groups, civil rights, conservative, centrist and progressive organizations. It is a continuation of the bipartisan legacy of the First Step Act, signed into law by President Trump. We urge Members of both parties to support this landmark legislation, and finally eliminate this relic of the failed War on Drugs.”