DeSantis Vows to Repeal Bipartisan Criminal Justice Reform Bill if Elected President
Attack on law seen as political ploy to take on Donald Trump for the nomination
Florida Gov Ron DeSantis’ next step in challenging frontrunner Donald Trump for the Republican nomination for president is a pledge to push to repeal bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation which Trump signed during his term in the White House.
DeSantis, who officially entered the presidential field this week, has vowed — if elected president — to repeal the First Step Act.
A bipartisan criminal justice bill passed by the Congress and signed by Trump in December 2018, the First Step Act enacted several changes in U.S. federal criminal law aimed at reforming federal prisons and sentencing laws in order to reduce recidivism, decreasing the federal inmate population, and maintaining public safety.
DeSantis, however, claims that the law has contributed to an increase in crime.
“It has allowed dangerous people out of prison who have now re-offended and really, really hurt a number of people. So one of the things I want to do as president is go to Congress and seek the repeal of the First Step Act,” he said. “If you are in jail, you should serve your time. And the idea that they’re releasing people who have not been rehabilitated early so that they can prey on people in our society is a huge, huge mistake.”
When he entered the presidential race this week, DeSantis did so more than 30 percentage points behind Trump, who is hoping for a return to the Oval Office.
“He is trying to set up a contrast saying, ‘You can’t trust Donald Trump because of this record.’ The issue of crime has just become a massive massive talking point for virtually every Republican in the country, including Ron DeSantis,” said one-time Republican strategist and conservative commentator, Scott Jennings. “I would expect, this is going to be a big topic for him because every survey from just about every jurisdiction for Republicans, crime is up at the top of the list.”
The DeSantis attack on the First Step Act should be seen as a sign of how much trouble DeSantis is in, in taking on Trump for the nomination, according to Van Jones, a progressive commentator on CNN who helped support passage of the law in question.
“He’s taking on the common sense of both parties and a bunch of people, including [Sen] Lindsey Graham and his own party, who supported it,” Jones said. “He’s just trying to do anything to make himself look tougher than Donald Trump because he’s not tougher than Donald Trump.
“He’s puffing his chest out. He’s attacking Mickey Mouse,” Jones said of the ongoing DeSantis feud with Disney. “He’s attacking people coming home from prison. It shows just desperation on his part, but it also shows that he doesn't know what he is talking about when it comes to federal legislation.”
Please support our work…
Also, please subscribe…