Congress Passes Historic Legislation to Reduce Crack/Powder Cocaine Sentencing Disparity
By Jasmine Tyler, Deputy Director of National Affairs, Drug Policy Alliance
Today, the House passed legislation reducing the two-decades-old sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine offenses. The Senate passed an identical bill in March and the legislation is now heading to President Obama, who supports the reform effort.
This is a historic day, with House Republicans and Democrats in agreement that U.S. drug laws are too harsh and must be reformed. The tide is clearly turning against the failed war on drugs.