Louie Gohmert: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. One of the highlights of my being in Congress was getting a call from Ed Meese…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. One of the highlights of my being in Congress was getting a call from Ed Meese, asking if I would work with him on criminal justice reform. I was glad to do that. It was amazing, having the ACLU and Heritage working together and groups working together, but more of our focus was on requiring intent to be proven before you could lock up people, take away their freedom, things like the 5,000 or so Federal crimes that allow violations of regulations that no elected official has ever participated in to be the basis for somebody losing their freedom. Those were important. But that is not what this criminal justice reform bill is about. That is why some call it a jailbreak bill. Under the bill, there are some good things, improvements on rehabilitation. I am glad that Ted Cruz' amendment passed in the Senate, so that violent carjackers are not going to be allowed to have a chance to have their time cut. But there are 1,466 offenders relating to coercion, enticement of children into sex crimes, who will be eligible. There are 5,934 offenders relating to bank robbery involving violence or risk of death, and they will be eligible. There are others involving violence on officers, law enforcement officers. Look, on behalf of the sheriffs, the prosecutors, people like me--I was a State felony judge--we worked very hard to come together on a proper sentence. Plea agreements were made for a lesser sentence.…”