The 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, authored by President Biden and signed into law by former President Clinton, is back in the spotlight at the Democratic National Convention. Critics say the law led to mass incarceration, disproportionately impacting Black Americans, while Democrats have since become softer on crime, supporting policies like defunding the police and bail reform.
As Democrats gather in crime-ridden Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, a law authored by President Biden and signed by former President Clinton three decades ago is back under scrutiny. The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, known as the 1994 crime law, has been blamed for contributing to mass incarceration, especially among Black Americans.
Biden was a U.S. senator representing Delaware when he authored the law, which Clinton signed into effect with the stated goal of cracking down on illegal drugs and violent crime. However, critics argue that the law led to disproportionate sentencing of Black Americans, particularly for nonviolent drug offenses. It enforced the so-called "three-strike" rule, which mandated life sentences for repeat offenders.
Democrats' 1994 Crime Law Haunts DNC as Biden and Clinton Take the Stage
"You have many people go to jail for crack cocaine. And we're not talking about just selling it. We're talking about using it. And folks who use powder cocaine, or regular cocaine, they were let go. They weren't put in the same set of circumstances as the mostly Black folks who were using crack cocaine at the time," said Gianno Caldwell, Fox News political analyst and founder of the Caldwell Institute for Public Safety.
Alice Johnson, who was sentenced to life in prison for trafficking cocaine in 1997, was directly impacted by the 1994 law. She was granted clemency by then-President Trump in 2018, thanks in part to advocacy by Kim Kardashian.
Democrats' 1994 Crime Law Haunts DNC as Biden and Clinton Take the Stage
In recent years, Democrats have generally shifted towards a softer approach to crime, advocating for policies such as banning foot pursuits in some cities, reclassifying certain felonies as misdemeanors, eliminating cash bail, and calling for police defunding.
However, some critics, such as former President Trump, have pointed to the 1994 crime law as evidence of the Democrats' past support for tough-on-crime policies. Trump has accused Biden of being the "king of the 'super predators'" for his role in authoring the law.
Democrats' 1994 Crime Law Haunts DNC as Biden and Clinton Take the Stage
"More people see me, and they say, ‘Sir, we want protection. We want police to protect us. We don’t want to get robbed and mugged and beat up or killed because we want to walk across the street to buy a loaf of bread.’" Trump said during a recent campaign event in Detroit.
Despite the law's past association with mass incarceration, Chicago, which is hosting the DNC, has implemented many of the same progressive criminal justice reforms promoted by Democrats, such as foot-pursuit bans and bail reform. However, the city has also experienced a significant increase in violent crime in recent years.
Democrats' 1994 Crime Law Haunts DNC as Biden and Clinton Take the Stage
In 2021, Chicago recorded 797 homicides, the highest number in 25 years. While homicides have since decreased, they remain higher than pre-pandemic levels. Critics argue that Chicago's crime problem demonstrates the unintended consequences of Democrats' soft-on-crime policies.
Caldwell believes that the DNC in Chicago highlights the failures of Democratic criminal justice policies. "I can't think of a better place than Chicago to highlight the Democratic failures, which has some of the most comprehensive gun control laws on the books. Still a violent city. Migrant crime. The education system is in ruins in Chicago, the state of Illinois. You can think of any number of issues that the Democrats championed and said this is the right play for the country," Caldwell said. "You can use it as a microcosm … because many of these same policies have passed in Chicago, and you see how they're doing."
Democrats' 1994 Crime Law Haunts DNC as Biden and Clinton Take the Stage
