WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 15: U.S. President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up sign as he walks with son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner to a waiting Marine One helicopter while departing the White House on March 15, 2017 in Washington, DC. Trump is scheduled to travel to Michigan and Tennessee today. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his support for a bipartisan prison reform bill, called the FIRST Step Act.
“Today, I am thrilled to announce my support for this bipartisan bill that will make our communities safer and give former inmates a second chance at life after they have served their time,” Trump said during brief remarks in the Roosevelt Room.
Trump added that the White House pledge “to ‘Hire American’ includes those leaving prison and looking for a very fresh start — new job, new life.”
Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, faith leaders, law enforcement and lawmakers supporting the legislation were present.
“I’m waiting. I’ll be waiting with a pen and we will have done something that hasn’t been done in many, many years, and it’s the right thing to do,” he added.
Trump also brought up Alice Johnson, a first-time nonviolent drug offender whose sentence he commuted over the summer.
“But I’ll never forget the scene of her coming out of prison after 21 years and greeting her family and everybody was crying. Her sons, her grandsons, everybody was crying and hugging and holding each other. It was a beautiful thing to see, it was a very tough situation,” he said.
