GOP senator: Sessions's push for tougher sentences highlights 'injustice'

Sen. Rand PaulRandal (Rand) Howard PaulFormer Missouri senator says backing Hawley was 'worst mistake of my life' GOP senators hopeful they've quashed additional election challenges Rand Paul calls Capitol riot 'wrong and un-American' MORE (R-Ky.) knocked Attorney General Jeff SessionsJefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsSen. Hawley tramples the 2020 vote in his run to 2024 Bottom line Five GOP senators to watch in next month's Electoral College fight MORE on Friday, arguing his order to charge defendants with the most serious crimes would only highlight "injustice" in sentencing rules. 

 

"Mandatory minimum sentences have unfairly and disproportionately incarcerated too many minorities for too long. Attorney General Sessions’ new policy will accentuate that injustice," he said in a statement. 

 

Sessions released a memo on Thursday night that requires prosecutors to disclose "all facts that impact the sentencing guidelines or mandatory minimum sentences." 

 

"It is a core principle that prosecutors should charge and pursue the most serious, readily provable offense," Sessions wrote in the memo. "The most serious offenses are those that carry the most substantial guidelines sentence including mandatory minimum sentences."

 

The move is a break from the Obama administration and has sparked anger from Democrats and outside groups. 

 

Paul ripped the memo, saying the Trump administration "should treat our nation’s drug epidemic as a health crisis and less as a ‘lock ‘em up and throw away the key’ problem," instead of imposing harsher sentences.

 

Paul and Sessions were on opposite sides of the push to pass criminal justice reform legislation when Sessions was a member of the Senate. Paul was one of 37 senators who supported the Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform Act, which would reduce some mandatory minimum sentences. 

 

Sen. Mike LeeMichael (Mike) Shumway LeeRepublicans wrestle over removing Trump Lawmakers, leaders offer condolences following the death of Capitol Police officer GOP senators urging Trump officials to not resign after Capitol chaos MORE (R-Utah), who also supported the bill, added on Twitter on Friday that "to be tough on crime we have to be smart on crime. That is why criminal justice reform is a conservative issue."

 

But the legislation stalled amid division within the GOP caucus. Sessions—who has long advocated for tougher sentencing—was one of the loudest critics of the bill. 

 

Sen. Tom CottonTom Bryant CottonWe've seen this movie before — Rumors of Trump's political demise are greatly exaggerated Third-ranking Senate Democrat calls on Hawley, Cruz to resign after Capitol attack Hawley calls death of Capitol police officer 'a heartbreaking tragedy' MORE (R-Ark.), who also opposed the legislation, praised Sessions's move on Friday.