Help us to thank you for prison reform, Mr. President
The bill offers something for the left and the right. Liberals see new opportunities to free inmates who are least likely to offend again. Conservatives appreciate this big opportunity to reduce the cost to taxpayers of housing the world's largest prison population.
What's in it for Trump, the transactional president? Let's make a list:
1. He has been urged to support prison reforms by his son-in-law Jared Kushner, whose father served time for federal financial offenses.
2. Trump, Kushner and other family members under scrutiny from special counsel Robert Mueller may well have found a new interest in federal prison conditions.
3. Trump may feel encouraged by the praise he received after granting a request by Kim Kardashian West to commute the life sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, a black great-grandmother who was serving a life sentence for non-violent drug charges.
Much like President Richard Nixon softened his redbaiting history by opening diplomatic doors to China, it wouldn't hurt Trump's legacy as a self-described "law and order" conservative to enact sensible, bipartisan sentencing reforms.
Yet, the bill still faces its biggest obstacle in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Weighing the bill against other legislative priorities, the Kentucky Republican told Trump there probably are too few legislative days to get a vote on the bill before the congressional calendar ends on Dec.14, according to The New York Times.
Too bad. If the bill is delayed until the new Congress comes in, it may well face too much opposition from the incoming Democratic-controlled House, many of whom would rather reject half a loaf, even if it means no loaf at all.
Of course, President Trump could do a lot to move up the priority of that vote, if he turns on his powers of persuasion. Here's an opportunity to show all of us how good of a dealmaker he really is.
Then maybe I'll all have something else to be thankful for, Mr. President.
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(E-mail Clarence Page at cpage@chicagotribune.com.)
(c) 2018 CLARENCE PAGE DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
