Recent debate over a Criminal Justice reform Bill has resurrected a bad idea: getting the federal government involved when a local law enforcement officer is murdered, for purposes of imposing the death penalty. This proposal is not just in contravention of the constitutional principles upon which America was founded—it's also part of a disingenuous effort to manufacture outrage against the bill.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R–Ark.) has been one of the most outspoken critics of the FIRST STEP Act, which will likely be voted on by the Senate this month. Sen. Mike Lee (R–Utah)—a former federal prosecutor and staunch advocate for Criminal justice reform—did a stellar job dissecting Cotton's objections at National Review. Undeterred, Cotton has continued to oppose the bill to the extent that he's been accused of supporting amendments not to achieve better reforms, but to serve as a "poison pill" to tank the bill's chance of passage, writes Sarah Rumpf for Reason.

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