| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | Presented by The Zero Emission Transportation Association | | 
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) talk during the confirmation hearing for U.S. Army General Christopher Cavoli in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 26, 2022 in Washington, DC. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images |
ON THE WAY OUT THE DOOR — Senators are long gone, headed home for the Memorial Day recess, but a group of nine senators say they'll keep talking about potential legislation to prevent something horrifically and specifically American: deadly mass shootings.
Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) is taking the lead on talks, but the two centrist Democrats who have pleased Republicans and stymied their own caucus in the last year are hoping to be the bridge as lawmakers consider incremental gun proposals. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) scoff at weakening the filibuster, but now they need to keep Republicans at the table if there's any hope of bipartisan action. "They're actually saving the Senate from itself," said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), who wants to review Manchin's background checks expansion legislation. "I've told him, 'Look, Joe, I'm more than willing to visit with you on these issues if we could do something that could actually work and stand the test of time.'" Ideas on the table include:
- A narrow expansion of background checks (harkening back to Manchin-Toomey).
- Grants to states to implement so-called "red flag" laws, under which law enforcement officials can petition a court to confiscate weapons from individuals considered threats to themselves and others.
Not yet a gang: Who's involved in these talks? Manchin, Sinema and Murphy met with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Patrick Toomey (R-Pa.) and Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.),and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) on Thursday to talk about guns. Separately, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) met Murphy to "touch gloves." More from Jordain and Sarah on that meeting. That's just five Republicans, but there are more to keep an eye on as attention remains on gun safety. Jordain and Marianne have a full roundup: The 10 GOP senators to watch in the wake of the Texas school shooting (spoiler alert: retiring lawmakers with nothing to prove to voters sometimes buck norms). But Democrats have been burned before and won't forget it. Manchin single-handedly tanked the Democrats sweeping social spending package that was the cornerstone of Biden's domestic agenda and when he pledged to bring Republicans on board for voting rights legislation, he didn't deliver. "Any expectation that they've done things that Republicans like, and so Republicans owe them a debt — that is naive," said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.). Burgess and Mariane dig into the SineManch of it all: The GOP's two favorite Dems try to turn their cred into a guns deal RELATED (and recommended read): Tale of two senators: Cruz doubles down against gun regulation while Cornyn leads GOP in negotiations, from Abby Livingston at The Texas Tribune | | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president's ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | |
GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Friday, May 27 where the Memorial Day recess has begun. Programming Note: Huddle is off this Monday for the holiday, but will be back in your inboxes on Tuesday morning.
CHENEY'S IN THE RING — Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) is having a busy week. She tested positive for Covid on Wednesday and on Thursday officially filed to run again for the House, just before today's deadline. And her primary challenger is already ready to pounce. A recent poll, conducted by the Club for Growth, shows Wyoming attorney Harriet Hageman garnering 56 percent of the vote to Cheney's 26 percent in the GOP primary. Club for Growth has backed Hageman in the primary, along with former President Donald Trump. But keep in mind that this week some Trump enemies (as declared by Trump himself) brought home victories in Georgia, including Gov. Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and Attorney General Chris Carr, who all won primaries against Trump-backed challengers. "Cheney's clearest path to victory is to expand the electorate beyond the traditional Republican voters, who gave Trump about 70 percent of the vote in 2016 and 2020," reports Ally Mutnick, noting that Trump and others allies privately lobbied to change the state's election laws which allow voters to change party affiliation right up until election day. NATO? MAYBE NEXT TIME — The Senate Foreign Relations Committee was scheduled to vote Thursday on the resolution on Finland and Sweden's accession into NATO, plus nominations including Michelle Kwan to be ambassador to Belize, but they were delayed by the request of Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). The panel has a similar (but not identical) policy to Judiciary, where a single committee member can request action can be held over until the next business meeting. Paul is not known as a big NATO booster and declined to answer questions from Andrew this week on the addition of Finland and Sweden to the alliance. The NATO resolution is nonbinding and simply outlines the "sense of the Senate," but Paul is always going to make clear when his sense is a little different. | | | | A message from The Zero Emission Transportation Association: Foreign automakers are investing billions to try and win the American clean transportation market. They are building out their supply chains to bring their products to our shores—not investing in our communities or creating local jobs. Congress must expand the clean vehicle consumer tax credits so that American automakers can build a robust domestic supply chain that creates millions of good-paying jobs, generate investments in our communities, and win the clean transportation future. Learn more. | | |
AN IRISH OFFENSE — When Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Richard Neal led a Ways and Means CODEL to Northern Ireland earlier this week, he ruffled the feathers of Unionist leaders by using literary language that dredged up history and divisions and downplaying what they see as a crisis.
Our colleague Shawn Pogatchnik at POLITICO Europe has a full report on the sour aftermath of the CODEL, but here are some highlights (low lights?)... oof:
- "It has been the most undiplomatic visit I've ever seen to these shores," said Democratic Unionist leader Jeffrey Donaldson.
- DUP lawmaker Jonathan Buckley said he'd told Neal "that in three days he has taken a sledgehammer to U.S. diplomacy and neutrality with regards to Northern Ireland and the protocol."
AOC, UNDER INVESTIGATION — Calm down, it's the other AOC. There is a possible criminal case against Architect of the Capitol Brett J. Blanton that the agency's inspector general referred to the Justice Department, reports Chris Marquette at CQ Roll Call . Blanton oversees a sprawling agency with a $774 million budget that handles upkeep of the Capitol, its grounds and art collections, plus tours and Capitol Visitor Center operations, Senate food contracts, and coordination with the Sergeants at Arms and Capitol Police on security. Blanton is one of three voting members on the Capitol Police Board. SPEED OF COMPROMISE — Conferee Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) described the conference on the China competition bills on Thursday as "slow walking." Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said that she'd like the House to take action on the resulting compromise by July 4. Congress has been working on the legislation for more than a year, but the conference committee only got underway earlier this month. | | | | DON'T MISS DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today. | | | | | | | | You scream, I scream… Not out of existential dread, but for ice cream. Mark your calendars for the return of the Capitol Hill ice cream social, put on by the International Dairy Foods Association. If you're new in town, you might have missed it: It's been a tradition on the Hill since 1983, but didn't happen the last two years due to the pandemic. It will be June 22 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Back to the woods… Retiring Rep. Pete DeFazio (D-Ore.) roasts east coast hiking trails and tells a tale of being kicked off the Capitol campus for skiing in this entertaining Q&A with CQ Roll Call's Jackie Wang. (Come for the anecdotes, stay for the archive photos.) QUICK LINKS Rep. Elise Stefanik leaning against House Republican whip bid, from Juliegrace Brufke and Christian Datoc at The Washington Examiner Sen. Ron Johnson uses tax dollars to travel between Florida family home and the U.S. Capitol, from Daniel Bice at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Retaliation Accusations Could Sink Biden's Nominee For US Marshal In Hawaii, from Nick Grube at The Honolulu Civil Beat TRANSITIONS Kelly Riddle has been promoted to be deputy legislative director for Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.). She most recently was a policy adviser for Rosen. Michael Bennett (not to be confused with Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)) is now senior account executive at Fenton. He most recently was a deputy press secretary for Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.). | | | | A message from The Zero Emission Transportation Association:   | | |
TODAY IN CONGRESS
The House convenes at 9 a.m. for a pro forma session The Senate convenes at 9:30 a.m. for a pro forma session. AROUND THE HILL Friday ahead of a long weekend. It should be quiet. | | |
THURSDAY'S WINNER: Jack Howard correctly answered that after leaving office, President Herbert Hoover wrote The Ordeal of Woodrow Wilson. Wilson had published a biography of George Washington, but before he became president.
TODAY'S QUESTION from Jack: Which former Civil War general, sitting US Congressman, and future President spoke at the first Memorial Day – then known as Decoration Day – national commemoration? The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com. GET HUDDLE emailed to your phone each morning. Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus | | | | A message from The Zero Emission Transportation Association: Consumer tax credits for clean vehicles are vital for building the American clean vehicle industry. The American auto industry is working hard to onshore our critical minerals and battery supply chains, and they're making rapid progress. But they need Congressional support. If we maintain the status quo, it means domestic automakers will remain blocked from offering consumers the clean vehicle tax credit, while foreign imports are eligible for a $7,500 credit. Inaction means conceding this trillion-dollar market to our foreign competitors. But if Congress expands these consumer tax credits now, we will create durable demand for American-made vehicles, which will send a strong market signal that will enable U.S. companies and automakers to scale up their domestic production. If we get this right, we can create millions of good-paying jobs here at home, drive down consumer costs, cut carbon pollution, and boost public health. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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