Criminal Justice Reform Clears Senate Hurdle Again, Despite “Interfering” by the Attorney General
The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday advanced criminal justice reforms for the second consecutive Congress–this time, with the executive branch kicking and screaming. The panel marked up legislation in a 16-5 vote the day after Attorney General Jeff Sessions publicly criticized the proposal, which would enhance re-entry programs and reduce some mandatory minimum sentences with retroactive effect. On Wednesday, Sessions sent a letter to Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) outlining his opposition. In 2015, when the bill first cleared the committee, then-Sen. Sessions (R-Ala.) was…