Congressional lawmakers who this year touted a bipartisan effort to pass criminal justice reform legislation now concede passage is unlikely this year, leaving its fate largely in the hands of the next president.
Those most closely connected with the effort to move legislation say while consideration in the House is possible, the window is likely closed in the Senate thanks to staunch opposition from red-state Senate Republicans, as well as some Democrats who have shown "an unwillingness to be bipartisan" because they want to hold out for more liberal reforms that could be possible under a Hillary Clinton presidency.
As a result, advocates are now turning their efforts to setting the stage for passage in 2017, where the reform effort will hinge in large part on who wins the White House.
"We've been engaging with both campaigns and they have been interested and have asked a lot of questions," Holly Harris, executive director of U.S. Justice Action Network, told the Washington Examiner.
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