KENNEDY: THANK YOU, PRESIDENT
TRUMP TODAY BEGINNING TO RIGHT A
WRONG WHICH HAS PLAGUED NATION
FOR GENERATION, PUSHING FOR
MAJOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM,
FOR TOO LONG WE'VE BEEN LOCKING
UP AMERICANS FOR DECADES FOR
NONVIOLENT CRIMES WE HAVE BEEN
TYING HANDS OF JUDGES.
NOW FINALLY, THERE IS ACTED.
CEREMONY OF WHITE HOUSE
PRESIDENT EXPLAINED WHY HE
THINKS THIS SO IMPORTANT, WATCH.
>> LEGISLATION I AM SUPPORTING
TODAY CONTAINS MAN SIGNIFICANT
REFORMS, FIRST, IT WILL PROVIDE
NEW INCENTIVES FOR LOW RISK
INMATES TO LEARN THE SKILLS THEY
NEED TO FIND EMPLOYMENT.
WE'RE BETTER OFF WHEN FORMER
INMATES CAN RECEIVE AND REENTER
SOCIETIES AS LAW ABIDING
PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS.
KENNEDY: HOW COULD IT WORK?
REDUCE MANDATORY MINIMUM FOR
NONVIOLENT DRUG CONVICTION AND
OTHER CRIMES, AND IT WOULD
ELIMINATE STACKING THAT WOULD
ADD YEARS IN A DRUG IS INVOLVED.
PENALTY FOR CRACKER HANKER, AND
HAVE BEEN CALLED RACIST.
DOES THIS MUCH NEEDED
LEGISLATION HAVE A CHANCE OF
PASSING?
>> TODAY'S ANNOUNCEMENT SHOWS
THAT TRUE BIPARTISANSHIP IS
POSSIBLE.
MAYBE IT WILL BE THRIVING IF
WE'RE GOING TO GET SOMETHING
DONE.
WHEN REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS
TALK, DEBATE AND SEEK COMMON
GROUND WE CAN ACHIEVE
BREAKTHROUGHS THAT MOVE THE
COUNTRY FORWARD.
KENNEDY: PRISON REFORM HIT FRONT
PAGE THIS YEAR WHEN KIM
KARDASHIAN WEST CONVINCED
PRESIDENT TO COMMUTE SENTENCE OF
ALICE JOHNSON, A GRANDMOTHER
SERVING LIFE FOR A NON-VIOLENT
TRUTH OFFENSE, TODAY PRESIDENT
GAVE SHOUT OUT TO LAWMAKERS WHO
HAVE BEEN PUSHING ANOTHER THESE
CHANGES, LONGER THAN THE REALITY
STAR.
MIKE LEE HAS BEEN PUSHING FOR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM SINCE
BEFORE HE BECAME SENATOR, I
SPOKE WITH HIM EARLIER.
>> WELCOME BACK.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH GOOD TO
BE WITH US.
>> THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS
DIVIDED COMMUNITIES AND FAMILIES
BUT NOT A DEVICIVE ISSUE.
IT IS SUCH A NO-BRAINER, AND YOU
KNOW, YOU CAN GO MUCH FURTHER
WITH LEGISLATION BUT WHAT DOES
THE FIRST STEPPABLE
THE FIRST STEP DBLE
THE FIRST STEP DO?E
>> IT HAS A COUPLE MAIN
FEATURES, FIRST PART DEALS WITH
PRISON REFORM, YOU SAID, GIVING
IS INTENSIVING ON PRISONERS,
SERVING TIME IN A FEDERAL
PRISON.
TO TAKE COURSES, OTHERWISE
PREPARE THEMSELVES, TO ENTER
SOCIETY WITHOUT REOFFENDING,
SECOND IS SENTENCING REFORM, AND
MORE MORNING AND DRACONIAN
PROVISIONS OF FEDERAL LAW OVER
FEDERAL LAW IS CRIMINAL LAW,
WITH THE MASSIVE SENTENCES.
A MAN WAS EN SENSED FOR A
FEDERAL OFFENSE FOR SELLING 3
DIME BAGS OF POT.
THIS WOULD GIVE HIM 55 YEARS
BEFORE.
>> WHAT ARE CHANCES THAT IT
PASSES SENATE WHERE YOU ARE?
>> THEY ARE GOOD, IF THIS BILL
WERE BROUGHT UP TODAY IT WOULD
PASSOVER WHELMING 3, IT WOULD
PASS WITH A VETO-PROOF SUPER
MAJORITY I BELIEVE.
NOT THAT WE NIEDERAUR IT.
SO I'MER KOWNL -- BRING THE BILL
UP NOW THIS PASSOVER WHELMINGLY
AND BRING A BIG BIPARTISAN
VICTORY, AND WILL MAKE LIFE
BETTER FOR MILLIONS AMERICANS
WHO ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ARE
AFFECTED BY CRIMINAL FEDERAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
>> THIS SPECIAL FOR PRESIDENT'S
SON-IN-LAW.
JARED KUSHNER AND HIS WIFE
IVANKA TRUMP, BUT THIS WAS
ALMOST OPPOSITE TO SOME OF JEFF
SESSION'S VIE OF THE CRIMINAL
JUSTICE SYSTEM.
SO, WITH SESSIONS NOW HAVING
RESIGNED, DOES THAT MEAN THAT
THIS ADMINISTRATION STARTS A NEW
ON THIS VERY ISSUE?
>> I THINK IT CAN.
IN ANY EVEN.
EVER SESSIONS WHO WAS HIS TAPPER
--EVER SESSIONS DID NOT PERSUADE
TO IMTO NOT SUPPORT IT PRESIDENT
KEEPS MAKES HIS OWN DECISION,
TODAY HE DECIDED TO SUPPORT THE
BILL.
WE HAVE FULL SUPPORT OF
ADMINISTRATION.
AND LIKE I SAID WE HAVE A
SUPPORT I BELIEVE OF A SUPER
MAJORITY IN BOTH HOUSES OF
CONGRESS, HOUSE VERSION PASSED
WITH 360 VOTES AWAY COUPLE
MONTHS AGO, I BELIEVE WE'LL KEEP
THAT NUMBER IF NOT INCREASE IF
AND GET IT PASSED IN SENATE.
KENNEDY: IS THIS SOMETHING THERE
IS PROTION
PR PROTION
PRESROTION
PRESSUTION
PRESSUREON
PRESSURE IT PASS IN THE LAME
DUCK SESSION BEFORE NEW CONGRESS
IS SWORN IN, OR ARE YOU
CONFIDENT THAT DEMOCRATS WILL
GET ONBOARD.
HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ACROSS THE
A.M. ON THIS ISSUE.
>> RIGHT, AND I'VE BEEN WORKING
FOR 8 YEARS, ON THIS ISSUE, AND
INITIALLY IT WAS ME AND A LOT OF
DEMOCRATS, NOT AS MANY
REPUBLICANS A NOW, OVERTIME
PEOPLE REALIZE, NEITHER
DEMOCRATIC OR REPUBLICANS OR
LIBERAL OR CONSERVATIVE THIS IS
A GOOD PUBLIC POLICY ISSUE.
I AM GLAD YOU ASKED.
ABOUT THIS CONGRESS VERSUS THE
NEXT.
I BELIEVE KENNEDY THIS NEEDS TO
BE DONE IN THIS CONGRESS, WE
DON'T KNOW WHAT DEMANDS
DEMOCRATIC CONTROL HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVE MIGHT MAKE IN
NEXT CONGRESS.
AND I HAVE SOME GRAVE DOUBTS
ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO TO PASS IN
SENATE WHATEVER THEY PASS IN
DEMOCRATIC CONTROL HOUSE NEXT
YEAR.
PRESIDENT OBAMA TRIED FOR 8
YEARS TO GET THIS DONE, HE COULD
NOT, PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS A
CHANCE NOW, CONGRESS NEEDS TO
ACT NOW.
KENNEDY: DO YOU.
AS FAR AS UP BREAK, HEALTHCARE,
BUILDING WALLING WALL FUNDING
WHERE DOES THIS FANNED IN DOCKET
-- STAND IN DOCKET IN SHORT-TERM
BEFORE JANUARY.
>> LIKE MEASURE TO KEEP
GOVERNMENT FUNDED AND FUND
BORDER SECURITY, THIS IS ONE
THING THAT I THINK HAS GOT TO BE
ADDRESSED BEFORE THE END OF THE
YEAR, WE HAVE TIME, A COUPLE
MONTH, WE HAVE UNTIL NOON
JANUARY 3 NEXT YEAR.
SO, LET'S GET IT DONE NOW.
KENNEDY: WHO WILL BE THE SENATOR
FROM FLORIDA THAT YOU SHAKE
HANDS WITH, AND WELCOME TO
CHAMBER IT IS RETURNING CHAMPION
BILL NELSON OR RICK SCOTT?
>> I BELIEVE IT WILL BE RICK
SCOTT.
I SAW HIM A FEW HOURS AGO.
HE WAS HERE TODAY, AND LOOKED
FORWARD TO WELCOMING HIM HIS A
COLLEAGUE.
IT CLOSE, BUT I SENSE HE IS THE
RIGHTFUL VICTOR, AND HE WILL
COME OUT ON TOP.
KENNEDY: LAST QUESTION, WHO DO I
THINK DEMOCRAT PUT UP IN 2020?
>> TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT?
KENNEDY: MM-HMM.
>> I BELIEVE ONE OF MY
COLLEAGUES, I THINK CORY BOOKER
WOULD BE AN OUTSTANDING CHOICE,
AND KAMALA HARRIS.
I THINK BERNIE SANDERS COULD
REEMERGE AS A CREDIBLE
CHALLENGER.
IF I HAVE TO PICK 29 THREE
IF I HAVE TO PICK B9 THREE
IF I HAVE TO PICK BETTHREE
IF I HAVE TO PICK BETWEREE
IF I HAVE TO PICK BETWEENE
IF I HAVE TO PICK BETWEEN THE 3
I WOULD PUT MONEY ON CORY
BOOKER.
KENNEDY: I COULDN'T SAYING
