Sen. Webb to Keep Fighting for a Commission

Last week, Senate Republicans blocked the passage of Senator Jim Webb’s legislation to establish a bipartisan National Criminal Justice Commission, despite support from more than 100 organizations, including the National Sheriffs’ Association, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Innocence Project.

In media coverage following the vote, writers from across the political spectrum condemned the Republican filibuster.

Conservative columnist Reihan Salam called the vote against the creation of a Criminal Justice Commission an ”

absolute scandal

” in the National Review.

If the bill passes, the National Criminal Justice Commission Act would create a blue-ribbon, bipartisan commission of experts charged with undertaking an 18-month top-to-bottom review of the nation’s criminal justice system and offering concrete recommendations for reform. But, it was blocked by Republicans in the Senate on Thursday by a vote of 57-43 (60 votes were required for passage).

The Virginian Pilot said in an editorial

that the vote represented “Senate negligence” and the

Roanoke Times

said the vote “snuffs out the last fumes of hope that the legislative body can accomplish anything remotely useful.”

Sen. Webb is not deterred.  In a statement from last week, he said:

We will keep fighting for a comprehensive review of the justice system, with the help of the thousands of sheriffs, police, mayors and justice advocates who have joined us in pressing for reform.