Grassley Receives Conservative Excellence Award
WASHINGTON–Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today received the American Conservative Union's 2014 Award for Conservative Excellence for his dedication to conservative principles that promote a free society.
"I'm honored to receive this award from such a well-respected group. We must continue to stand for our nation's founding principles and work to uphold these values. I intend to keep working toward this goal through my work in the United States Senate," Grassley said.
The American Conservative Union annually gives ratings to members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate based on members' voting records on important issues facing the nation. Grassley received a rating of 92 percent for 2014.
Photos of Grassley receiving the award from Chairman Matt Schlapp can be found here and here.
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Grassley: Good News for Knoxville Area Veterans
WASHINGTON–Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa today said that the Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded a lease contract for a Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Knoxville, Iowa.
The outpatient clinic will be located at 1607 Lincoln Ave. North in Knoxville.
"This is great news for veterans in Knoxville and the area and for the whole community. Once the new outpatient clinic is up and running, it will remove the last obstacle preventing the VA from making important decisions about what to do with the rest of the old VA campus, which is currently sitting idle. The VA has an obligation to fulfill its promises in Knoxville. The lease award is a major step toward accomplishing that. Next, the VA will need to work toward completing construction as soon as possible. Veterans and the community members shouldn't have to wait any longer than they already have. And the VA needs to work with the community on the best use for the old campus that meets the community's needs," Grassley said.
Grassley has worked to give veterans more health care options. This summer, he sponsored legislation to give veterans more choice and flexibility in health care services.
Construction on the Knoxville outpatient clinic is anticipated to be completed in the spring of 2017, with doors opening to veterans following the summer of 2017. The clinic will allow VA to provide timely access to primary care, audiology, podiatry, optometry, and mental health services.
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Senators Introduce Landmark Bipartisan Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015
WASHINGTON - A bipartisan group of senators led by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin today is introducing comprehensive legislation aimed at recalibrating prison sentences for certain drug offenders, targeting violent criminals, and granting judges greater discretion at sentencing for lower-level drug crimes. The package also seeks to curb recidivism by helping prisoners successfully re-enter society. The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 is also sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.).
"This historic reform bill addresses legitimate over-incarceration concerns while targeting violent criminals and masterminds in the drug trade. It's the product of thoughtful bipartisan deliberation, and I thank my colleagues for their hard work to promote opportunities to reduce recidivism while protecting our communities from violent career criminals. This bill is an important component in my ongoing effort as Judiciary Committee chairman to ensure access to justice for both the victims and the accused," Grassley said.
"This compromise represents more than three years of work on criminal justice reform. The United States incarcerates more of its citizens than any other country on earth. Mandatory minimum sentences were once seen as a strong deterrent. In reality they have too often been unfair, fiscally irresponsible and a threat to public safety. Given tight budgets and overcrowded prison cells, our country must reform these outdated and ineffective laws that have cost American taxpayers billions of dollars. This bipartisan group is committed to getting this done," Durbin said.
"This legislation is modeled after successful Texas reforms that have rehabilitated prisoners, reduced crime rates, and saved taxpayer dollars. This bipartisan package will protect law enforcement's ability to aggressively target violent criminals and serious offenders, while focusing on justice, rehabilitation, and public safety. I look forward to working with this bipartisan coalition to move this bill through Congress and to the President's desk," Cornyn said.
"This bill marks an important step toward making our criminal justice system fairer by reducing overcrowded prison populations and giving prisoners the help they need to avoid committing future crimes. It also reflects a growing bipartisan recognition that we cannot incarcerate our way to safer communities, and that the current system too often pushes individuals into a cycle of recidivism that is hard to break. I thank Chairman Grassley for leading the long, thorough and collaborative process, respecting a wide range of views, that ultimately produced this bill, and I'm proud to support it," Whitehouse said.
"Since my time as a federal prosecutor, I have been concerned that federal sentencing laws too often require punishments that just don't fit the crime. These laws require many nonviolent offenders to spend years in prison, often with few opportunities for meaningful reform. Today's legislation addresses both of these problems by reducing mandatory minimums and by expanding opportunities for programs that have been proven to reduce recidivism. I am grateful for the close collaboration with senators from both parties that has made this important bill a reality today," Lee said.
"Crafting criminal justice reform in this Congress is like a Rubik's cube, but this group of Republicans and Democrats worked hard to come up with a fair and balanced package that will make a real difference. This bill would make much needed reforms to sentencing for non-violent offenders, resulting in a much fairer criminal justice system. I'm hopeful that we can continue moving the ball forward in a bipartisan way to make the reforms our system needs," Schumer said.
"We maintain the tools law enforcement needs to continue making sure that the worst drug traffickers and violent criminals stay off of our streets. We also provide flexibility in sentencing for those offenders that deserve it. I'm proud to support this important legislation," Graham said.
"The broad bipartisan nature of this bill marks a new chapter in criminal justice reform. Although I wish this bill did more, it will impact thousands of lives and save millions of dollars. And, critically, its changes are not just forward looking. By applying many of these reforms retroactively, Congress is, for the first time, acknowledging that when we pass unfair laws, we have a moral responsibility to fix our mistakes. Real people, like Weldon Angelos, are paying with decades of their lives. We must keep pushing and see that this bill is enacted," Leahy said.
"For decades, our broken criminal justice system has held our nation back from realizing its full potential. Today, we take a step forward. Mass incarceration has cost taxpayers billions of dollars, drained our economy, compromised public safety, hurt our children, and disproportionately affected communities of color while devaluing the very idea of justice in America. The Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act is a promising, bipartisan step forward to help right this wrong," Booker said.
The bill narrows the scope of mandatory minimum prison sentences to focus on the most serious drug offenders and violent criminals, while broadening and establishing new outlets for individuals with minimal non-felony criminal histories that may trigger mandatory minimum sentences under current law. The bill also reduces certain mandatory minimums, providing judges with greater discretion when determining appropriate sentences, and preserves cooperation incentives to aid law enforcement in tracking down kingpins.
In addition to reducing prison terms for certain offenders through sentencing reform, qualifying inmates can earn reduced sentences through recidivism reduction programs outlined in the CORRECTIONS Act introduced by Cornyn and Whitehouse. The bill also makes retroactive the Fair Sentencing Act and certain statutory reforms that address inequities in drug sentences.
For more information on the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015, see the following documents:
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A bipartisan group of Senators will announce an agreement on a comprehensive criminal justice reform bill, tomorrow, Thursday, Oct. 1, at 10 a.m. (ET), 9 a.m. (CT) in the Senate Radio-TV Gallery. The bill is a product of months of work and is aimed at recalibrating prison sentences for certain drug offenders, targeting violent criminals, granting judges greater discretion at sentencing for lower-level drug crimes, and helping prisoners successfully re-enter society and avoid re-offending. Policy experts for the members will be available following the press conference to answer background questions about the bill.
WHO: Senator Chuck Grassley
Senator Dick Durbin
Senator John Cornyn
Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
Senator Mike Lee
Senator Lindsey Graham
Senator Patrick Leahy
Senator Chuck Schumer
Senator Cory Booker
WHAT: Press conference to announce the bipartisan Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015
WHEN: 10 a.m. (ET), 9 a.m. (CT), Thursday, October 1, 2015
WHERE: S-325, Senate Radio-TV Gallery
Streamed live on judiciary.senate.gov
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