Press releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today stood up for American families by opposing the First Step Act, which passed the U.S. Senate on a 87-12 vote.  Sen. Kennedy delivered a speech on the Senate floor explaining his opposition to the First Step Act
Sen. Kennedy introduced two amendments that focused on protecting crime victims.  However, the amendments were defeated in the Senate.
Sen. Kennedy’s first amendment prioritized victims’ rights by requiring prison wardens to notify victims before an offender’s early release.  His second amendment promoted transparency by requiring the Bureau of Prisons to track the effectiveness of anti-recidivism programs.
“I voted against this bill because the most important goal of the criminal justice system for American families is justice.  This bill is backwards.  It favors criminals over victims.  It forgets that the ultimate goal is justice.  We’ve seen what’s happened with so-called criminal justice reform in Louisiana.  People are literally getting killed,” said Sen. Kennedy.  “Sen. Cotton and I offered very simple amendments that would have put the bill in the right direction by ensuring that victims count and justice prevails.  Unfortunately, those amendments failed, leading to a bill in which the word ‘victim’ isn’t mentioned enough.”
 
Click here or the photo below to watch Sen. Kennedy’s floor speech.

 

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