| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | Presented by Genentech | THE NEXT PART WON'T BE EASY, EITHER — It's one thing to have a bipartisan framework. It is another to write the bill and pass it into law. That's the task ahead. The bipartisan agreement announced Sunday on gun violence prevention is stoking optimism that Congress can get something, anything, done in the wake of deadly mass shootings that have shaken the American public. But there's a significant uphill climb ahead for the agreement to become law. "Families are scared, and it is our duty to come together and get something done that will help restore their sense of safety and security in their communities," the 20 senators backing the deal said on Sunday. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who led the negotiations, acknowledged what's ahead: "Drafting this law and passing it through both chambers will not be easy. We have a long way before this gets to the President's desk. …This time, failure cannot be an option." What's in the agreement:
- Red flag funding: The proposal would provide grants and funding for states to implement so-called "red flag" laws that allow petitions to a court to temporarily remove firearms from a person considered a danger to themselves or others.
- Mental health: "Billions in new funding" for school safety and community mental health clinics.
- Closing the "boyfriend loophole:" This would allow people who have been convicted of domestic violence against a partner, regardless of marriage status, to be added to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System run by the FBI. This provision has repeatedly been stripped from the Violence Against Women Act reauthorizations in recent years.
- Above board: New barriers on "straw purchases" of guns, which is designed to cut down on illegal weapons trafficking. New restrictions on gun sellers who "illegally evade" federal firearms licensing requirements.
The proposal is not even close to what Democrats ultimately want, but it is also the most significant step on gun violence prevention in three decades and they've said for weeks they'll take a small step over nothing. Hurdles ahead: It's not a bill until there's text. And putting a bipartisan agreement into legislative language can be a rocky process. One key challenge will be writing the provisions that would subject gun buyers 21 years of age and younger to scrutiny of their juvenile mental health and criminal records, which are governed by different laws in each state. As text comes together, keep an eye on outside and internal forces that could erode support from the 10 Republicans currently signed onto the proposal. (Three Republican senators who initially endorsed the bipartisan infrastructure bill last year ended up voting no or didn't vote but voiced opposition once it came to the floor.) There is no wiggle room – the gun violence measure needs 10 GOP votes to clear a filibuster. It's worth noting: Of the 10 Republicans engaged in this proposal, none are up for reelection this cycle and four are retiring this year. Only one is up in 2024: Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah.) Timing: Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) committed to quick action: "Once the text of this agreement is finalized, I will put this bill on the floor as soon as possible so that the Senate can act quickly to advance gun-safety legislation," he said in a statement. RELATED: 'A Start': Gun Deal Stirs Hope but Also Frustration in Places Scarred by Shootings, from Luke Vander Ploeg, Edgar Sandoval, Rick Rojas, Ali Watkins and Ashley Southall at The New York Times; Rare sense of 'anxiety and urgency' drives bipartisan talks on gun safety in Senate, from Jennifer Haberkorn at The Los Angeles Times | | | | 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 Monday, June 13, where some lawmakers are running their lines. (More on that below.)
JAN. 6 COMMITTEE RECONVENES — This morning's public hearing will be focused on former President Donald Trump's action and inaction on Jan. 6, 2021 and the origins of his lies about the 2020 election. Testifying before the committee this morning will be former Trump campaign manager Bill Stepien, who is appearing under subpoena. Additionally the panel will hear from Chris Stirewalt, a former political editor for Fox News who was "restructured" out of a job after projecting on election night that Biden would win Arizona; Benjamin Ginsberg, a Republican election lawyer; former U.S. attorney B.J. "BJay" Pak; and Al Schmidt, a former city commissioner of Philadelphia. A preview from Kyle and Nicholas: Jan. 6 committee to detail the origins and reach of Trump's election lies Who's Who: Trump Campaign Chief to Headline Jan. 6 Hearing on Election Lies, from Luke Broadwater and Maggie Haberman at The New York Times; Former U.S. Attorney Pak to testify at Monday's Jan. 6 committee hearing, from Tia Mitchell at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution; from last week: The Jan. 6 Inquiry's Only Endangered Democrat Prepares Herself for a Fight, from Jonathan Weisman at The New York Times RELATED: Select committee drops bid to obtain RNC records in time for public hearings, from Kyle | | | | A message from Genentech: Stakeholders across the healthcare system have unique priorities and perspectives on what constitutes value. Current approaches to assessing the value of new and innovative medicines are narrow, often leading to a fragmented view of the full impact medicines deliver to patients, health care providers, payers and society. Learn about Genentech's commitment to building an ideal framework that uses a holistic set of attributes to define the value medicines bring to all stakeholders. | | |
ALASKA'S AT-LARGE ELECTION NARROWS — "Early results in Alaska's 48-candidate special primary election for U.S. House Saturday showed Republicans Sarah Palin and Nick Begich III taking the lead, followed by independent Al Gross. Democratic former state Rep. Mary Peltola, in her first statewide campaign, was in fourth," reports the Anchorage Daily News .
Lots of firsts: The top four candidates from the special primary will advance to an August special general election, which will be Alaska's first using ranked choice voting. It is also the state's first race for the House without an incumbent in a half-century. And it is also Alaska's first statewide mail-in election. RUBIO FLIES UNDER THE RADAR — Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is staying out of the spotlight, and that suits him…for now. He's hoping that Florida voters notice his bipartisan efforts on veterans benefits for toxic burn pit exposure, daylight saving time and Uyghur slave labor in China. But his opponent, Rep. Val Demmings (D-Fla.), will be focused on his party-line voting record. Rubio says his and Trump's visions aren't that different even as their approaches diverge: "Who I am is much more about: These are some changes we need to make. And if we do that, America is going to be a place you should be very optimistic about," Rubio said. "His approach, which was more effective electorally, was to say: These are the things that are going wrong in our country, because we have a bunch of dumb leaders in Washington." More from Burgess' interview: Rubio embraces his low-key side TWO LT. GOVERNOR "BUDS" — They're bald, they're "buds" and they're each trying to break the mold and flip senate seats in Wisconsin and Pennsylvania as unconventional candidates: Mandela Barnes and John Fetterman. Both lieutenant governors are hoping to turn senate seats blue. They are running very different campaigns, face unique electoral dynamics and don't align on all policy positions. But they're testing how more progressive Democratic candidates can fare in high-profile Senate races in battleground states. Marianne and Holly Otterbein take a deep look at the relationship between the two candidates, what ties them together and where it is necessary for them to diverge: A tale of 2 lieutenant governors trying to expand Dems' Senate majority "They're very different people," said Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.), chair of Senate Democrats' campaign arm. "They have some similarities in terms of their issue positions, but … they'll run completely different campaigns I suspect." "One other thing about us that's similar is the whole tall and bald part," Barnes said. "That is what it comes down to: two tall, bald guys just trying to get the job done."
| | | | 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. | | | | | LINDSEY v. BERNIE — Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) are set to participate in a one-hour Oxford-style policy debate on the state of the economy at lunchtime today, moderated by Fox News' Bret Baier and streamed on Fox Nation. Graham told Roll Call he thinks it will be "fun" and Sanders said he looks forward to "sharp discussion." The event is the first of three hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center in collaboration with the Orrin G. Hatch Foundation and the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. (Where else besides Dorchester, Mass., can you find a life-sized replica of the Senate chamber?) | | | All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players… Well, tonight members of Congress are actually the players. More than a dozen lawmakers from both parties will take the stage as part of the Shakespeare Theater Company's Will on the Hill benefit performance . (Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) has been practicing his stage projection with every proxy vote he reads.) Lowridin' to the polls… Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) posted some GOTV fun, featuring hydraulics. That clap, it's back… Pelosi appeared on Friday's episode of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars 7, where she encouraged Americans to vote and praised the queens for bringing "joy and beauty" to the world. Her team posted a clip. When Raja Gemini praised Pelosi's "sarcastic, shady clap" at the end of former President Donald Trump's 2019 State of the Union Address as "f--king epic," Pelosi said it was "completely unintentional." Pelosi also made an appearance on "RuPaul's Drag Race: All Stars" back in 2018 and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) appeared in early 2020. Boebert's prayers… Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) drew cheers this weekend when she said she is praying for the president's demise: "I do want you to know that I pray for our President. Psalm 109:8 says, 'May his days be few and another take his office.' Hallelujah! Glory to God," Boebert said at a Family Camp Meeting at Charis Christian Center in Colorado Springs. QUICK LINKS After Angering Trump, South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice Faces Tough Primary Fight, from Eliza Collins and Natalie Andrews at The Wall Street Journal Why Clyburn is flexing his political muscles in this year's primaries, from Julia Manchester at The Hill Op-Ed: Rep. Alex Mooney: I did not violate any ethics rules , from Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) in The Charleston Gazette Mail TRANSITIONS Maddie Davidson is now director of government affairs at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. She most recently was health policy director for Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.). | | | | A message from Genentech:   | | |
TODAY IN CONGRESS
The House convenes at noon for morning hour debate and 2 p.m. for legislative business. Roll call votes are postponed until 6:30 p.m. The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. with a vote at 5:30 p.m. AROUND THE HILL Not much (yet.) | | | FRIDAY'S WINNER: Mike Ryan correctly answered that the Man in the Green Hat was George Cassiday, Congress's primary bootlegger during Prohibition. (For those who answered that it was a Senate-side bar, you have a good memory. It was in the late 1970s, named for Cassiday.) More on the Cassiday's rise and fall on Capitol Hill from the Senate Historical Office. TODAY'S QUESTION from Mike: On January 3, 1947, what was so special about the opening session of the 80th Congress (1947–1949)? 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 Genentech: As our healthcare system evolves it is imperative for us to consider what value medicines bring to patients, health care providers, payers and society. However, healthcare stakeholders often have a range of unique and differing perspectives on value. When it comes to defining, measuring and communicating the value of medicines, we need a framework that uses a more holistic set of attributes that are transparent and meaningful to all stakeholders. It is essential that we look more closely at the full range of benefits medicines offer and help ensure those benefits are incorporated into decisions about drug development, pricing, payer coverage and regulatory actions. Learn more about how Genentech is working to help all stakeholders fully understand a treatment's total impact to ensure we get the right treatments to the right patients. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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