Washington ( CNN ) -- Ending a decade-long campaign 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 for offenses involving powder cocaine , generally preferred by whites . `` The Fair Sentencing Act will reduce sentencing disparity 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 . The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee Lamar Smith , R-Texas , argued vigorously shortly before passage that to reduce the crack cocaine penalties would be a serious mistake . `` Reducing the penalties for crack cocaine could expose our neighborhoods to the same violence and addiction that caused Congress to act in the first place , '' Smith said . `` Crack cocaine is associated with a greater degree of violence than most other drugs . And more than any other drug , the majority of crack defendants have prior criminal convictions , '' Smith said . The White House is expected to schedule a presidential signing ceremony within a month .
A 25-year - old law set mandatory minimum sentences in crack cocaine cases . Crack cocaine sentences were more severe than those in powder cocaine cases . The new law 's supporters say it offsets disparities in crime . Conyers : The old law pushed the number of drug offenders in federal prison to nearly 100,000 .