KENNEDY: BREAKING NEWS, LOOKS
LIKE A SWEEPING VICTORY FOR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM,
FINALLY, SENATE JUST PASSED
FIRST SETBACK 87-12, THE PACKAGE
BACKED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP,
PUSHED BY HIS SON-IN-LAW, JARED
KUSHNER.
INCREASING GOOD TIME CREDITS AND
ENCOURAGES PARTICIPATION IN
REHABILITATION PROGRAMS.
-- AMONG OTHER THINGS, STILL HAS
TO GO TO HOUSE, AND BE SIGNED
BEFORE BY PRESIDENT BEFORE IT
LAW.
WAS IT A GOOD FIRST START?
OR STEP.
ASKING THE PANEL, TOWN HALL.COM.
FOX NEWS CONTRIBUTOR.
GUY BENSON.
SHE IS INDEPENDENT WOMEN'S BOARD
MEMBER, NAN HAYWORTH.
AND WASHINGTON COMMENTARY EDITOR
KIM CARNEY IN NEW YORK -- TIM
CARNEY IN NEW YORK CITY.
>> I LOVE BEING HERE.
KENNEDY: GREAT TIME OF YEAR.
>> SO MUCH PEOPLE SURROUNDING
THE STUDIO, THAT IS TERRIFYING
AND EXHILARATING.
IT DID NOT SEEM LIKE THIS IS
DIRECTED THIS ADMINISTRATION WAS
GOING IN WHETHER THE PRESIDENT
TOOK OATH OF OFFICE IN JANUARY
OF 2017.
WITH JEFF SESSIONS BEING VERY
HEAVY HANDED WITH CRIMINAL
JUSTICE.
HIS SON-IN-LAW, SEEMING TO HOLD
MINORITY OPINION, HOW DID IT
SHIFT.
>> AND HIS DAUGHTER.
I THINK JARED AND IVANKA WERE
IMPORTANT ON THIS ISSUE, I THINK
THAT PRESIDENT OVER COURSE OF
LAST YEAR, MET WITH A NUMBER OF
PEOPLE WHO MADE VERY PERSONAL
APPEALS ON THIS FRONT ON BEHALF
OF THEIR RELATIVES.
I BELIEVE KANYE WEST, AND HIS
WIFE KIM KARDASHIAN BROUGHT A
FEW TO HIS ATTENTION, SOMETIMES
THE PERSONAL STORIES PRESIDENT
CAN BE MOVED.
THIS IS A GOOD PIECE OF
LEGISLATION, MAYBE SOME
AMENDMENT THAT WERE DEFEATED
SHOULD HAVE PASSED, BUT AS A
WHOLE THISSA GOOD, 87-12, I HAD
STEVE SCALISE TODAY ON RADIO
SHOW, I SAID IF THIS PASSES, DO
YOU ANTICIPATE EASY PASSAGE BACK
TO THE HOUSE, HE SAID YEAH, IT
PASSED WITH OVER 350 VOTES LAST
TIME, I LOT THINK IT WAS
STRENGTHENED IN U.S. SENATE, IT
WILL EN UP ON PRESIDENT'S DESK,
A BIPARTISAN VICTORY, IF
PRESIDENT WANTS TO MAKE A CASE
TO MODERATE INDEPENDENT VOTERS
HE CAN BE A PRESIDENT THAT GOV
EVERYONES ON BEHALF OF ALL
AMERICANS THIS IS A CONCRETE
VICTORY.
KENNEDY: A TEMPLATE FOR
IMMIGRATION, AND HUMAN BEINGS
WITH EVOLVE, YOU CAN APPEAL TO
BETTER SIDE OF HUMAN NATURE.
SOME OF US HAVE BEEN SAYING,
WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING,
WE'RE NOT MAKING SOCIETY BETTER.
OF COURSE WE WANT TO PUNISH BAD
PEOPLE WHO HURT OTHERS AND
ASSAULT WOMEN AND CHILDREN HAVE
NO PLACE IN A FUNCTIONING
SOCIETY.
AND TAKING PEOPLE WHO ARE LOW
LEVEL OFFENDERS OR GUILTY OF
CONSENSUAL CRIMES AND LOCKING
THEM IN CAGES THERE SMOG WRONG S
THEM IN CAGES THERE SMOG WRONG M
THEM IN CAGES THERE SMOG WRONG T
THEM IN CAGES THERE SMOG WRONG I
THEM IN CAGES THERE SMOG WRONG G
WRONG.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THE SUPPORT FOR THIS BILL OF THE
BROAD, IT WASELLO 87.
-- ELOQUENT.
DR. KING'S DAUGHTER WROTE A
MOVING SUPPORT FOR THE BILL.
IT IS A FACT THAT COMMUNITIES OF
COLOR AND COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE
BEEN ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGES IN
GENERAL HAVE BEEN ALSO AT A
DISADVANTAGE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM THIS BILL HELPS TO
PROVIDE THEM.
KENNEDY: THAT IS NOT JUST IRK
EMOTIONALISM AND HYPERBOLE.
>> THIS IS A BILL -- OUR FEDERAL
CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, IN
PARTICULAR THE PRISON SYSTEM IT
BROKEN.
THE PRISON BREEDS SORT OF
ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND REWARDS
IT, OUR GOVERNMENT MADE THEM
LESS ABLE TO FUNK
LESS ABLE TO FUNCTION IN
SOCIETY.
THIS WILL DO SMALL STEPS TO
MINIMIZE THAT, IT WILL TAKE
SOMETHING BIGGER THAN THIS TO
FIX CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
THIS IS ALSO, NO LONGER.
>> IT ALSO, I THINK GOOD TO HAVE
A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT DO WE
MEAN, WHETHER WE -- WHEN WE SAY
BAD GUYS, IT HAS CHANGED
OVERTIME, THERE ARE PEOPLE
LOCKED UP WHO WANT TO BE GOOD,
THEY WANT TO LEARN.
>> THAT INCENTIVIZES THIS.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO OPPOSE
THIS SAY YOU HAVE CERTAIN
CRIMINALS WHO COMMITTED SERIOUS
CRIMES WHO ARE NOW ELIGIBLE FOR
SHORTENED SEPTEMBER
SHORTENED SENTEMBER
SHORTENED SENTENCER
SHORTENED SENTENCES.
>> ALWAYS DISCREATIONARY.
>> 12 VOTES NO, THEY WERE ALL
REPUBLICANS, I LIKE THOSE GUYS.
BUT SHOUT OUT MIKE LEE, A HUGE
CHAMPION OF THIS BILL FOR 4
YEARS.