WASHINGTON, D.C. — One of Nebraska’s senators voted in favor of sweeping criminal justice reform on Tuesday.
“Though I had reservations with the initial bill, I believe the revised version made good faith changes to address my concerns. Specifically, I appreciated adjustments to overly narrow provisions that could have qualified fentanyl traffickers and those convicted of gun crimes related to drug trafficking to earn time credits,” said Senator Deb Fischer. “As part of this process, I visited with numerous law enforcement and judicial officials in Nebraska. The revised bill incorporates important public safety considerations, and provides for fairness and consistency of federal criminal law. Furthermore, this legislation would enable judges to use proven tools from federal statutes to avoid clear injustices on specific, low-risk cases.”
Senator Ben Sasse did not vote for the bill, after calling for an amendment.
A spokesperson for Sasse’s office said that because the Senator’s amendment was not included, violent federal prisoners convicted for the following crimes (among others) are still eligible to receive time credits toward reduced sentences:
- 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2421—sex trafficking
- 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2422—coercion for purposes of sex trafficking
- 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2423—sex trafficking minors
- 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2425—enticing minors into sex trafficking
- 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1593A—benefitting from human trafficking
- 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1594(a)-(c)—attempt and conspiracy for human trafficking offenses
- 18 U.S.C. Sec. 2261—domestic violence
- 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1112—manslaughter
- 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1113—attempted murder or manslaughter
- 18 U.S.C. Sec. 111(a)—assaulting a law enforcement officer