Congress Considers Bills Ending Cashless Bail Nationwide, DC

Republican lawmakers, led by Rep. Elise Stefanik and Sen. Marsha Blackburn, have introduced legislation aimed at ending cashless bail policies nationwide, building on President Donald Trump's executive orders targeting this issue. These bills would withhold federal funding from states and localities that release violent offenders without posting bail, aiming to curb repeat offenses by individuals released pretrial. The legislation responds to high-profile violent crimes allegedly committed by individuals released under cashless bail policies, including incidents in New York, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina. Supporters argue that cashless bail contributes to rising crime rates and endangers communities, while critics in some states have adopted cashless bail reforms aimed at criminal justice changes. The bills emphasize law and order and seek to reverse progressive bail reforms seen as soft on crime, with Stefanik criticizing Democratic leadership in New York and other areas for their bail policies. Passage of the legislation would codify Trump's crackdown on cashless bail and use federal funding as leverage to compel jurisdictions to change their pretrial detention practices.