The Scoop
President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are actively discussing a sweeping crime bill that would go far beyond their recent forays into DC’s criminal justice system.
The GOP’s plans are early and fluid but serious, according to lawmakers and officials familiar with them. Taking up a national crime bill as the midterm campaign heats up would help the party keep momentum on what it sees as a politically advantageous issue as polls show Trump’s handling of the economy losing favor with voters.
But steering a sweeping piece of legislation to Trump’s desk during an election year won’t be easy. It would require close coordination between Congress and the White House to unite a Republican Party with disparate views of criminal justice that could easily fracture over the issue, not to mention work to win the Senate Democratic support such a bill would need.
“We got a team working on it, but I don’t think we’re going to move unless we get some indication from the White House. And also, don’t forget, the House of Representatives is working on it too,” Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, told Semafor. “We might wait for the House Representatives to pass something before we would work on it.”
A White House official confirmed the Trump administration is coordinating with Grassley to “develop proposals that can command wide support.”
“Addressing violent crime has always been a priority for President Trump, you can expect that to continue. We are looking at a wide range of options,” the official added.
Some Republicans said this week they were skeptical of efforts to crack down on left-leaning speech, presaging a potential fault line if the administration pushes to address political violence in a crime bill.
Any crime legislation Republicans take up would almost certainly swing in the opposite direction from the bipartisan sentencing reform law that Trump signed during his first term. The 2018 First Step Act, which reduced sentences for some nonviolent offenders, also split Republicans before its passage — and these days Trump rarely talks about it, preferring a more aggressive approach to crime as he sends troops into US cities.
Two Republican lawmakers familiar with the discussions told Semafor that tougher sentencing laws, cracking down on new synthetic drugs and organized crime, and restricting cashless bail could be in the mix for a bill.
Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., a member of the House Judiciary Committee, said he’s heard panel chair Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, discuss his interest in crime legislation. Cline said he hoped stricter sentencing and limiting parole would be prioritized.
“There are parts of the country where you’re seeing leftist judges and leftist prosecutors allowing criminals to reoffend and be re-released into the community and commit heinous crimes,” Cline said. “What we can do to ensure truth in sentencing in those areas is hopefully I would hopefully look at.”
Know More
The White House and GOP leaders are currently focused on funding the government past Sept. 30, and any crime legislation would likely take months to develop. Still, several Republican leaders mentioned public safety legislation as a priority this week. And Trump himself has teased a “comprehensive crime bill” for weeks, albeit with few details.
“I’d be very comfortable with that. I think there’s a lot of good ideas out there,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.
Any new law would need Democratic support to pass the Senate, however — and perhaps also the House, given divisions among Republicans on criminal justice.
“I’m not a believer that we need more laws, more statutes. I actually think we need far fewer,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, who is running for attorney general in his home state and alluded to ongoing discussions about a crime bill. “I’m not all that fired up about increasing federal criminal statutes.”
One Republican lawmaker predicted that whatever is crafted would end up as a party-line affair: “We’re not going to get Democratic votes for it.” If Republicans pursued a party-line vote, it would be more of a political play for the 2026 election than anything else.
But some of them see that as a mistake.
“It’s hard to predict. Because I just don’t know what the market will bear on the other side” with Democrats, said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. “I’m not too big into writing things that people reject and that fail. I’d rather come up with something that solves real problems.”
Grassley and Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., enjoy a bipartisan relationship atop the Judiciary Committee. Durbin said he’s heard rumblings about a crime bill and is open to working on it.
“What we’ve done historically is to put together a bipartisan package, and pass it, at least during Police Week,” Durbin said. “If they’re going beyond that to controversial issues, I’ll withhold my judgment until they see it.”
Room for Disagreement
Like Roy, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky. — who opposed two measures toughening treatment of young offenders in DC this week — splashed cold water on the idea of a big crime bill.
“I’m always against mandatory minimums. Just don’t think they promote justice,” Massie said. “I don’t think we need to create more federal crimes. I think you know, most crimes should be prosecuted at the state level.”
Burgess, Eleanor, and Shelby’s View
Violent crime rates are down across the country after the post-pandemic spikes, but Trump’s party is still eager to run on law and order.
That message allows them to use blue cities as a foil, not to mention Democratic immigration policies, and also shifts the conversation from the weakening economy or the Jeffrey Epstein case.
But as eager as many Republicans are to take on crime beyond DC — think back to the Laken Riley Act, the crime-focused migration law that passed earlier this year — we’d be surprised if there is enough bipartisanship left in the capital to pass a new crime law.
Very little of it has gone around over the last six months. And after the current government shutdown fight ends, there may be even less.