Ending a decade-long campaign classic max led by African-American lawmakers, the House Wednesday approved and sent to President Barack Obama a measure to reduce the disparity in penalties between use of crack and powder cocaine. Under a 25-year-old law, mandatory minimum sentences involving crack cocaine -- a drug more commonly used by blacks than whites -- led to far more severe penalties than buy aion kinah for offenses involving powder cocaine, generally preferred by whites.

"The Fair Sentencing Act will reduce sentencing disparity gucci shoes for women between crack and powder cocaine from 100-to-1 to 18-to-1," said Congressman John Conyers, D-Michigan, who applauded the passage. Conyers said the crack mandatory sentences had pushed the number of drug offenders X458 in federal prisons from fewer than 5,000 in 1980 to nearly 100,000 in 2009.

The law drops the five-year mandatory sentence for first time offenders, and for repeat offenders with less than 28 grams of crack. Current law sets X678 the mandatory sentence for conviction at five grams. Support for reducing the disparity with powder cocaine offenders increased with reports beginning in 2002 by the U.S. Sentencing Commission calling for Congress to change the crack cocaine X348 law. The commission is independent agency in the judicial branch that develops national sentencing policy for the federal courts.

The House measure, passed on a voice vote with bipartisan caterpillar drive chain support, follows passage by the Senate in March. President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder had both pressed for passage of the law. "This day was long in coming," said Holder. He said the bill will "go a long conveyor rollers way toward ensuring that our sentencing laws are tough, consistent, and fair."

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus had led the battle for passage for 10 years. Holder also singled out key Republicans including Sens. Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama, and Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, who had joined belt conveyor with Democrats. Conyers tipped his hat to House GOP members Dan Lungren, R-California, James Sensenbrenner, R-Wisconsin, and Ron Paul, R-Texas, for their support. Not all Republicans joined the majority, however. YWJ