Senate Judiciary Committee Member Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said on Monday that President Obama should not unilaterally change the policy for sentencing people who are convicted of federal offenses.
The Department of Justice recently announced that new criteria for granting clemency to federal drug offenders would be handed down this week. The new criteria could result in reduced sentences for nonviolent offenders.
“This new and improved approach will make the criteria for clemency recommendation more expansive,” Attorney General Eric Holder said. “This will allow the Department of Justice and the president to consider requests from a larger field of eligible individuals.”
Hatch acknowledged the president has authority to grant clemency to individuals who are no longer deemed a danger to the community.
“But I hope President Obama is not seeking to change sentencing policy unilaterally,” Hatch said. “Congress, not the president, has authority to make sentencing policy. He should continue to work with Congress rather than once again going it alone, and I’m willing to work with the president on these issues.”
Holder said the DoJ anticipates thousands of additional applications for clemency. Dozens of lawyers with backgrounds in prosecution and defense will be assigned by the DoJ to review and scrutinize the applications.