Senate Republicans are actively discussing changes to a controversial federal prisons and sentencing bill in a bid to win more GOP support that could shatter a delicate bipartisan compromise on one of President Trump’s top legislative priorities left for this year, the Washington Post reports. The changes being mulled reflect proposals by the National Sheriffs’ Association, which is opposed to the legislation as written. Though many law enforcement groups already support the bill, getting more of them on board is almost certain to improve its prospects among Republicans. One possible change is tightening the “safety valve” provision, which provides more discretion to judges when they issue sentences.
Though the bill already allows judges to take advantage of those “safety valves” in more types of cases, Sen. David Perdue (R-GA) said senators are talking about reducing the types of convictions that would qualify for the “safety valve” provision. Perdue said senators are considering narrowing the kinds of fentanyl-related crimes that would be eligible under the legislation, which broadly is meant to loosen some mandatory minimum sentences and help rehabilitate prisoners. “I’m probably going to be supportive of it,” said Perdue, who was a vocal opponent of a more expansive version of the legislation two years ago. The changes under negotiation reflect the messy, closed-door horse-trading that will only grow as Senate leaders begin gauging support for the bill this week, even if attempts to change the legislation are ultimately unsuccessful. Separately, one opponent, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) is citing a Justice Department analysis of the legislation to warn that sex offenders could get off easy, reports Politico.