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| Presented By CEO Action for Racial Equity |
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| Axios Sneak Peek |
| By Alayna Treene, Hans Nichols and Zachary Basu · May 26, 2022 |
| Welcome back to Sneak. Smart Brevity™ count: 1,021 words ... 4 minutes. Join Axios' Sara Kehaulani Goo, Shawna Chen and Niala Boodhoo tomorrow at 12:30pm ET for a virtual event on Asian American visibility and vulnerability. See the guests and register here. ⚡ Situational awareness: President Biden and first lady Jill Biden will travel to Uvalde on Sunday to meet with the families of the victims killed in Tuesday's school shooting. Get the latest. |
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| 1 big thing: Hill's smallest committee takes center stage |
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| Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios |
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| A nine-member committee once seen as a bureaucratic backwater is now at the center of some of the biggest policy fights in Congress, Axios' Lachlan Markay reports. Why it matters: The House Administration Committee usually wields power quietly, with purview over staff pay and congressional office space. - But in a huge change from its traditional role, the "housekeeping committee" is now at the center of several explosive fights — including over voting rights and congressional stock trading — that will be shaped by who controls the House after the midterms.
- The smallest committee in Congress is also playing a decisive role in the debate on Capitol security — an issue that's taken on new importance after Jan. 6 and the spate of recent mass shootings.
Driving the news: The House sergeant-at-arms, who falls under the committee's oversight purview, revealed his view yesterday that members should be banned from carrying guns in the halls of Congress. - "Regrettably, my position on this matter is not shared by all stakeholders," William J. Walker wrote in a letter to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), who supports making the Capitol a "gun-free zone."
- At least eight Republicans have been fined for refusing to pass through magnetometers required to enter the House chamber — a rule instituted after Jan. 6.
Zoom out: The ongoing effort to counter potential active shooter threats is the latest example of a high-profile national issue that touches to some degree on House Administration's jurisdiction. - Voting rights is another: Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), the committee's ranking member, tells Axios he plans to introduce legislation this year that "ensures states — not unelected federal bureaucrats — maintain primary authority over their election laws as the Constitution requires."
- Under chair Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), the committee was the tip of the spear for Democrats' sweeping election and campaign finance reform bills, which passed the House but failed to overcome Senate filibusters.
How it works: The committee — made up of six Democrats and three Republicans — has historically been thought of as overseeing the minutiae of operations on the Hill. - "You have people come up and [say] their room's too cold and to heat it up, or the mice have infected my office and can you get the staff over there to deal with it," Lofgren told Axios in an interview.
- But issues like "the assault on voting rights" have become such a flashpoint that it's elevated the committee's work, Lofgren said.
Keep reading. |
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| 2. Behind the scenes: Bipartisan gun group's "hyper-focus" |
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| Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) speaks outside the Capitol with other Democratic lawmakers and gun-control activists. Photo: Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images |
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| A new bipartisan Senate group on gun control is hyper-focused on operating in the realm of what's possible, even if the end result is a deal that falls short of what many Democrats want, Axios' Alayna Treene reports. Why it matters: The five Democrats and four Republicans involved in the talks have agreed to work toward something narrowly focused — not a political messaging bill — that can win over 10 Senate Republicans by the time Congress returns from recess on June 6. - Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who hosted the group in his office today, signaled he'll take virtually any deal.
- "I am so willing to bend over backward to find a compromise. … I need a vote that just shows progress," he said. "I'm perfectly willing to let the good prevail over the perfect."
The latest: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) gave the negotiations his blessing today and encouraged Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to get involved in the talks. What they're saying: "I can stay true to my Second Amendment convictions but at the same time work to have a proactive solution that if somebody seems to be at risk ... let's investigate," Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), referring to a potential red flag law, told reporters after the meeting. - "It's encouraging to see people say there's a pathway forward," Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). "This feels different right now."
- "As long as I've been advocating a red flag statute, I've never seen this level of support," added Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)
🚩 Go deeper: How red flag gun control laws work |
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| 3. Data du jour: Brands that transcend politics |
 Data: The Harris Poll; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios Grocery brands like Trader Joe's, Wegmans and H-E-B are some of the most reputable companies in America across the political spectrum, Axios' Sara Fischer reports from this year's Axios Harris Poll 100. - Hardware tech companies like IBM, Dell and Apple also rank highly among both Democrats and Republicans. Social media firms are largely distrusted across the partisan divide.
⚡ The intrigue: Tesla ranked in the top 10 most reputable companies for Democrats in 2021, but plummeted this year to No. 47. - The electric-vehicle company came in at No. 4 among Republicans. Tesla's mercurial CEO Elon Musk announced last week he would vote for the GOP moving forward.
Keep reading. |
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| A message from CEO Action for Racial Equity |
| How CEO Action for Racial Equity drives progress through policy |
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| Nearly two years ago, 100+ companies launched CEO Action for Racial Equity. Together, we are working to: - Address juvenile justice fees that disproportionately impact Black youth.
- Expand access to telehealth.
- Drive investment in community development financial institutions.
Learn how. |
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| 4. 🚨 Charted: Midterm signs flash red |
 Data: Cook Political Report; Table: Simran Parwani/Axios The Cook Political Report has revised its midterm outlook to a net GOP gain of between 20 and 35 House seats, today shifting 10 races in Republicans' direction and two in Democrats' direction. Zoom out: "For independent voters, inflation has become such a dominant concern that neither a Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade nor January 6 hearings are likely to drastically alter the midterms' trajectory," Cook's Dave Wasserman writes. |
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| 5. 🇨🇳 Parting shots |
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| Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images |
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| Secretary of State Tony Blinken today unveiled the Biden administration's long-awaited China strategy, summing it up in three words — "invest, align, compete." - "[W]e cannot rely on Beijing to change its trajectory. So we will shape the strategic environment around Beijing to advance our vision for an open and inclusive international system," Blinken declared in his speech at George Washington University.
Photo: Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images |
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| A message from CEO Action for Racial Equity |
| Break the cycle of inequity |
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| Addressing social injustice is an enduring societal issue, with high expectations from employees, customers, shareholders and beyond. The work is far from over. Join CEO Action for Racial Equity where business leaders activate their networks and develop solutions to help advance policy change. |
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| 📬 Thanks for reading Sneak! We'll be back with a special holiday edition on Sunday. In the meantime, tell your friends and family to sign up for any of Axios' free newsletters here. |
 | It's called Smart Brevity®. Over 200 orgs use it — in a tool called Axios HQ — to drive productivity with clearer workplace communications. | | |
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