News : They meet again: Senate gun talks continue

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

They meet again: Senate gun talks continue

Jun 01, 2022

With help from Sarah Ferris in Connecticut and Marianne LeVine.

TODAY'S TALKS — A bipartisan group of about nine senators are set to meet (virtually) again today on mass shooting prevention. In Kentucky on Tuesday Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters that senators are trying to "target the problem," which he identified as "mental illness and school safety," not firearms. McConnell is not directly involved in the negotiations, but initially urged Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) to talk to Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and get involved.

Cornyn said that his conversation Tuesday with Sens. Murphy, Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) was "very constructive," and that staff are also working to "address some of the details that we hope to be able to discuss at some point soon."

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS — Murphy is trying to navigate between Republicans, like Cornyn, whose support he needs for any compromise gun safety legislation and the powerful network of gun safety advocates in his home state, born out of the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting.

Murphy has thrown the door open for small, incremental changes that Republicans could possibly get on board with, like encouraging states to enact their own so-called "red flag" laws or expanding background checks. The political reality of the 50-50 Senate means that larger paradigm-shifting changes, like an assault weapons ban or raising the age of firearm purchase to 21, are likely impossible.

Mark Barden, whose son Daniel was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary, worries that Republicans could back a narrow proposal, celebrate taking action, and then back away from the negotiating table.

"We can't just check the box, but we can't also do nothing," Barden said in an interview with Sarah in Connecticut. "If we can do something that will be substantive and save lives, then we need to do that."

Lucy's football: There's also the chance that the urgency felt in the immediate aftermath of the mass shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo dissipates and talks cool and yield nothing. Activists and Democratic senators have seen that before.

"I'm sober-minded about our chances," Murphy said. "I have had the football pulled out from under me enough times to be realistic."

His senior colleague from the Nutmeg State, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), wouldn't say which Republicans he's dialing this week, but made clear that his goal is to "show my Republican colleagues that voting for some commonsense measures isn't suicidal politically."

The final result, he added, "will be less than what we want, for sure. But if it's a step that leads to more steps, it will be a good start."

Sarah has more from Connecticut: Weary and doubting, gun safety activists try to trust the Senate

RELATED: Handful of House GOP lawmakers open to assault rifle ban, from Emily Brooks at The Hill; Jacobs' change of heart on guns opens door for challengers, including state GOP chairman, from from Jerry Zremski at The Buffalo News; Bipartisan discussions on "red flag" laws make progress as Sens. Graham, Blumenthal revise gun control proposal, from Robert Costa at CBS

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 Wednesday, June 1.

EMPIRE STATE APOLOGY — "I could have handled things better. And I tried to take accountability for that," DCCC Chair Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.) told NY1's Kevin Frey about jumping into the NY-17 without so much as a call to his freshman colleague Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.). Jones told NY1 that Maloney has since followed up and called him "to apologize for not giving me a heads up."

Remember that on May 16 when the new map dropped Jones told our own Ally Mutnick: "Sean Patrick Maloney did not even give me a heads up before he went on Twitter to make that announcement. And I think that tells you everything you need to know about Sean Patrick Maloney." Jones is not facing Maloney head-to-head as anticipated when the maps first dropped. He's chosen to run in NY-10 instead.

But it's unlikely that this apology will turn down the heat on Maloney, who must run the Dems midterm strategy while also facing a tough reelection in his chosen district.

THREE'S A CROWD — A rematch race in Maine now has a third candidate who could shake things up. Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) is seeking a third term in ME-2 and is expected to face former Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-Maine) in the general. But Independent Tiffany Bond, a Portland lawyer, filed enough verified signatures Tuesday to secure a spot on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. The district is one of the most tightly contested in the country and ranked choice voting makes it even more interesting. If none of the three candidates reach the majority threshold, officials will redistribute the votes of the third-place finisher. In 2018, approximately two-thirds of Bonds' voters picked Golden as their second choice, according to the Lewiston Sun Journal.

SPEAKING OF CROWDED, THOUGH — Move over, Maine. The race to succeed the late Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) has four dozen (!) candidates in another ranked-choice-voting state. Emily Cochraine from The New York Times went to Alaska to talk to voters trying to sort through scores of candidate positions and candidates navigating the packed field and complex election schedule: In Alaska, the Race to Succeed Don Young Is Raucous and Crowded

ETHICS ROUNDUP: STONKS EDITION — The nonpartisan House Office of Congressional Ethics found "substantial reason to believe" that Reps. John Rutherford (R-Fla.) and Pat Fallon (R-Texas) violated House Ethics rules on disclosure of stock trades, according to the OCE's reports and referrals to the House Ethics Committee. Similar allegations were made against Rep. Chris Jacobs (R-N.Y.), but the OCE board was split 3-3, ultimately not referring the case to House Ethics. But House Ethics said in a statement they would continue to investigate the issue. Nicholas has a full breakdown.

MIDWESTERNERS TACKLE MENTAL HEALTH — "For far too long, behavioral health care in our country has been funded through grants. When the grant runs out, so does the health care. Imagine being told that your heart attack can't be treated because the grant ran out. That happens to people with mental illness and addiction all the time, and it makes no sense," write Sens. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) in an Op-Ed in USA Today. They're touting the success of "Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics" and aiming to expand the program nationally.

QUICK LINKS

Dems' lead impeachment lawyer to run for Congress in New York , from Hans Nichols and Jonathan Swan at Axios

Dems sweat GOP surge in South Texas special election, from Ally Mutnick

Elizabeth Warren Is Still Furious, from Samhita Mukhopadhyay at The Cut

TRANSITIONS

Josh Cohen has been named speechwriter and senior adviser to Victoria Nuland, undersecretary of State for political affairs. He most recently has been chief of staff to Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.).

Rational 360 is adding Jake Wilkins as senior director. Wilkins was most recently communications director for Sen. Ron Johnson's (R-Wis.) reelect, and is a Kevin Cramer alum.

Angela Ryan is now director of operations and scheduling for Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio). She previously had that role for Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.).

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TODAY IN CONGRESS

The House and Senate are out.

AROUND THE HILL

Recess, baby. (Not much going on.)

TRIVIA

TUESDAY'S WINNER: Dan Meyer correctly answered that before it was called Capitol Hill, it was Jenkins Hill.

TODAY'S QUESTION: What year did senators start being elected by voters, instead of by state legislatures?

The first person to correctly guess gets a mention in the next edition of Huddle. Send your answers to ktm@politico.com.

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Follow Katherine on Twitter @ktullymcmanus