WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security on the House Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement on the United States Senate’s confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States:

WASHINGTON, DC – Today’s significant House Judiciary Committee vote on H.R. 3245, the Fairness in Cocaine Sentencing Act of 2009, will address a twenty year injustice in federal sentencing law. The bill is sponsored by Congressman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott and 32 other members. The bill equalizes the penalties for crack and powder cocaine at the current powder cocaine penalty level.  Under current law, those convicted of possessing 5 grams of crack receive the same 5-year mandatory minimum sentence as those convicted of selling 500 grams of powder cocaine; this is referred to as the “100-1 disparity”.  H.R. 3245 eliminates the disparity.