Posted on 07/08/2014 5:09:13 AM PDT by Above My Pay Grade
Meet the Senate’s newest odd couple: Sens. Cory Booker and Rand Paul.
The duo of high-profile, first-term senators — one a New Jersey Democrat who came to Capitol Hill on Twitter-fueled national fame, the other a Kentucky Republican mulling a presidential bid in 2016 — will roll out legislation that comprehensively overhauls the U.S. criminal justice system.
Continue Reading
Text Size-+reset
Latest on POLITICOCruz: Investigate Cochran primaryPerry to Obama: No handshakeIf Baghdad fallsObama urges 'restraint' in Middle EastBooker, Paul team up for justiceCordray's Ohio profile shrinks
The measure, called the REDEEM Act, has several pillars: It encourages states to change policies so children are directed away from the adult criminal justice system; automatically expunges or seals — depending on their age — criminal records of juveniles who committed nonviolent crimes; and limits solitary confinement of children, except in rare circumstances.
The legislation also creates a path for adults with nonviolent offenses to seal their criminal records and restores food stamp and welfare benefits for low-level drug offenders who have served their sentences.
The senators touted the legislation as a smarter use of taxpayer funds while more effectively focusing rehabilitation efforts for young individuals to help them avoid committing future crimes.
“I will work with anyone, from any party, to make a difference for the people of New Jersey and this bipartisan legislation does just that,” Booker said in a statement to be released Tuesday.
In his own statement, Paul said the existing criminal system has kept scores of young men and women in a “cycle of poverty and incarceration.”
(Also on POLITICO: Reid: Dems to act on Hobby Lobby)
“Many of these young people could escape this trap if criminal justice were reformed, if records were expunged after time served, and if nonviolent crimes did not become a permanent blot preventing employment,” Paul said.
Paul, in particular, has made reforms to the criminal justice system one of his signature issues. Most recently, he introduced legislation that would restore voting rights for nonviolent felons in federal elections — a move that was praised by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).
He is also working on reforms to drug sentencing laws and ways to aid nonviolent criminals seeking employment.
Paul clearly hates law abiding Americans as strongly as any Liberal.
And yet, the Paul bots assure us that it was THEY who founded the Tea Party movement. Yeah, right…….
Booker is NJ’s mini-Obama; no accomplishments in office (actually a deterioration with crime similar to that of Chicago), hailed because he is black (though he is whiter than most), and any criticism is attributed to race. He will be hard to fun against; the last item is difficult to surmount. Odd that it carries so much weight in a state that is about 13% black.
Stunt-boy Booker’s a US Senator, now? Wow, I missed that one completely in the last election.
How a Republican can get a glowing write up in Politico.
Act like a Democrat.
DO NOT TRUST RAND PAUL!
“How a Republican can get a glowing write up in Politico.
Act like a Democrat.”
He isn’t ‘acting’! Libtardian demonrat, same thing.
“Stunt-boy Booker’s a US Senator, now? Wow, I missed that one completely in the last election.”
There was a special election to fill out Lautenberg’s unfinished term; I believe he has to run for the seat this fall.
Posing with Paul might get him some of the liberal white vote; we already have a “diversity senator” (Menendez), and don’t need another one. Booker was a complete failure as mayor of Newark; he has no business in the Senate.
Libertarian - a liberal who doesn’t like high taxation.
Booker working with Christy sure helped one person...Booker.
What a fool!
I can’t believe I used to admire Rand Paul. He supports Federal interference in State criminal justice matters and coddling criminals by giving them light sentences, clean records, voting rights and preferences in hiring.
Paul clearly hates law abiding Americans as strongly as any Liberal.
________________________________________________________
When you commit a crime in the US and are caught you pay. You pay by going to prison, you pay by being on probation, often for years after you get out. When you are a an ex-con it is nearly impossible to get a job. If you commit a drug crime and you do the time, why should society force you to live a life a crime? If you have a felony conviction that follows you around nobody will hire you. When do you stop paying for doing something stupid? If your record follows you you never stop being hounded by society.
If you do the crime, do the time and get back into society.
“...complete failure...”
Never stopped a libtard or RINO before; the US Congress is full of ‘em. LOL.
Simple solution, don’t commit the crime. Plenty of felons get work, and there is NOTHING wrong with it being more difficult for them.
If you want more jobs for felons, seal the border and deport every illegal alien in America. They steal jobs from those who have the hardest time finding work (unskilled, uneducated and felons).
It’s strange...I haven’t seen any of those repetitive “Rand Paul will win” posts lately.
He likely will be there for life, barring Divine Intervention.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.