Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin Richard (Dick) Joseph DurbinThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump previews SCOTUS nominee as 'totally brilliant' Feinstein 'surprised and taken aback' by suggestion she's not up for Supreme Court fight Grand jury charges no officers in Breonna Taylor death MORE (Ill.) — the No. 2 Senate Democrat — says he could support a compromise criminal justice reform bill that Republican colleagues presented to President Trump Donald John TrumpSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Pelosi slams Trump executive order on pre-existing conditions: It 'isn't worth the paper it's signed on' Trump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance MORE and senior White House officials three weeks ago.

In doing so, Durbin would become the first Democratic senator to support the legislation, which would combine a House-passed prison reform bill with sentencing reform provisions from the Senate’s Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act.

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The compromise is being pushed by senior White House adviser Jared Kushner Jared Corey KushnerAbraham Accords: New hope for peace in Middle East Tenants in Kushner building file lawsuit alleging dangerous living conditions Trump hosts Israel, UAE, Bahrain for historic signing MORE and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley Charles (Chuck) Ernest GrassleyGOP lawmakers distance themselves from Trump comments on transfer of power The Hill's 12:30 Report: Ginsburg lies in repose Top GOP senators say Hunter Biden's work 'cast a shadow' over Obama Ukraine policy MORE (R-Iowa).

Republican Sens. Mike Lee Michael (Mike) Shumway LeeBipartisan representatives demand answers on expired surveillance programs McConnell shores up GOP support for coronavirus package McConnell tries to unify GOP MORE (Utah), Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamSteele Dossier sub-source was subject of FBI counterintelligence probe Hillicon Valley: Subpoenas for Facebook, Google and Twitter on the cards | Wray rebuffs mail-in voting conspiracies | Reps. raise mass surveillance concerns Key Democrat opposes GOP Section 230 subpoena for Facebook, Twitter, Google MORE (S.C.) and Tim Scott Timothy (Tim) Eugene ScottAuthor Ryan Girdusky: RNC worked best when highlighting 'regular people' as opposed to 'standard Republicans' Now is the time to renew our focus on students and their futures GOP lobbyists pleasantly surprised by Republican convention MORE (S.C.) also support the proposal.

Durbin endorsed merging the House-passed First Step Act, which some Democrats have criticized, with four provisions from the Senate’s sentencing reform bill.

Asked if the compromise is acceptable, Durbin said, “Yes."

After a pause, he added: "I’ve been working on that.”

He urged Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump 'no longer angry' at Romney because of Supreme Court stance On The Money: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline The Hill's Campaign Report: Trump faces backlash after not committing to peaceful transition of power MORE (R-Ky.) to schedule it for a vote this year, perhaps in the lame-duck session after the election.

“If we have a bill that has such overwhelming bipartisan support, deals not only [with] criminal sentencing but prison reform, and the support of the White House — I hope — there’s no reason we shouldn’t consider it this year,” he said.

Durbin said he’s not persuaded by arguments to wait on prison and sentencing reform until next year in hopes that Democrats take back the House and perhaps the Senate as well.

“Last time we had a sentencing reform bill, I passed it, it was almost 10 years ago. That’s how often you get these opportunities. So if we have a bipartisan bill supported by the White House, I hope we can seize that opportunity,” he added.

However, Emily Hampsten, a spokeswoman for Durbin, told The Hill that the senator hasn’t yet signed off on a final deal.

“There’s still no deal and he hasn’t endorsed anything yet,” she said in an email.

In a follow-up statement released Tuesday afternoon, Durbin laid out several additional demands.

“We’re now having constructive conversations with the White House about a possible compromise package including key sentencing reforms and fixes to the FIRST STEP Act, but nothing is final yet,” he said.

“With Republicans in the majority, any agreement must be endorsed by the President and include a commitment from Republican leaders to move it through Congress and get it to the President’s desk.”

Durbin’s positive talk about the emerging deal is a big boost for getting something done on criminal justice reform in 2018 and could outweigh the skepticism of two other prominent Democratic voices on the issue, Sens. Cory Booker Cory Anthony Booker3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death DHS opens probe into allegations at Georgia ICE facility MORE (N.J.) and Kamala Harris Kamala HarrisHundreds of lawyers from nation's oldest African American sorority join effort to fight voter suppression Biden picks up endorsement from progressive climate group 350 Action 3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing MORE (Calif.), who are also weighing 2020 presidential campaigns.

Durbin’s backing would be all the more significant because he co-signed a letter dated May 17, along with Booker and Harris, that criticized the First Step Act, a pillar of the emerging compromise, as a “step backwards.”

The letter noted the objections of civil rights advocates who argued the First Step Act would exclude too many incarcerated people from the reform process and possibly exacerbate racial and socio-economic disparities.

Since then, Senate negotiators have proposed making corrections to the House bill and adding four major sentencing reform provisions.

The sentencing reform provisions would give judges more flexibility in handing out sentences to nonviolent drug offenders, it would narrow the sentencing disparity for crack- and powder cocaine–related offenses, and it would in some cases stop simultaneous convictions from being treated as prior offenses for the purposes of sentencing.

While the Senate proposals have helped change Durbin’s mind, Booker and Harris have yet to endorse the compromise.

"The bipartisan bill that we passed out, which was negotiated extensively, was the compromises that I wanted to make," Booker told The Hill last week. "For me to give up on something that was negotiated, I find it hard to think that would cut mustard for me."

"I'm still open to seeing what would happen, but remember we fought really hard for what was in that bill and to have it be vacated to get an even more watered-down one is concerning to me," he added.

-- Updated: 5:33 p.m.