House backs bipartisan criminal justice overhaul, sends bill to Trump
Source: Washington Post
By John Wagner and Philip Rucker December 20 at 2:48 PM
The House approved the most far-reaching overhaul of the criminal justice system in a generation Thursday, sending bipartisan legislation to President Trump that shortens sentences for some offenders and expands job training and other programs for prisoners.
The Republican-led House approved the First Step Act on a 358 to 36 vote, reflecting a major pivot by the GOP from the punitive, law-and-order stance of the 1980s to policies that emphasize rehabilitation and aim to save money.
White House officials have been planning for a signing ceremony Friday before Trump departs for Florida for the holidays. Plans call for him to invite Democrats as well as Republicans, hoping for a rare bipartisan celebration of a new law, aides said.
Trump took to Twitter shortly after the bill passed, hailing what he called “a great bi-partisan achievement for everybody.”
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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/house-backs-bipartisan-criminal-justice-overhaul-sends-bill-to-trump/2018/12/20/111e57e2-0448-11e9-b6a9-0aa5c2fcc9e4_story.html