| | | | |  | | By Katherine Tully-McManus | Presented by Genentech | With an assist from Jordain Carney SOFT LANDING (SO FAR) — One big question mark heading into this week was whether progressives could warm to the modest gun violence prevention proposal that's simmering in the Senate, despite it falling far short of what they've been proposing for years. So far, they're keeping an open mind. It all depends on text, of course. Right now the proposal is still just that. But top GOP negotiator Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said he hopes to have text "in the next few days," acknowledging that getting past the principles is "the even more difficult task of trying to agree on legislative text." Progressive Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) is waiting to see the final product. "The difference between a press release and a bill could be a big difference," said Doggett on Monday, noting that he is undecided on how he'd vote on the Senate framework. He's concerned that the deal could lean too heavily on state governments to take steps on their own, on access to juvenile records for background checks and expanding so-called red flag laws, which is a tough sell for a Democrat in a Republican-controlled state. "I'm concerned about it. I don't want to have missed an opportunity, since we've done nothing for 30 years," Doggett said, noting he plans to raise some of those issues with fellow progressives this week. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the number two Republican in the Senate, was undecided on gun safety framework on Monday: "Until we get text, it's hard to say. They put a lot of good work into it but it all comes down to the details." Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), says money is still a big discussion between negotiators. He said they are trying to strike a balance between making sure the proposal is "well funded" and paying for it. "We're obviously talking about a lot of money and we've made clear that our intention is to pay for this," he told reporters Monday. Timing: "Once the text of this agreement is finalized, and I hope it will be as soon as possible, I will put this bill on the floor quickly so the Senate can move quickly to make gun safety reform a reality," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. "We're trying to seize the moment and the momentum," Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said. "And we have both. So waiting runs the risk that some other critically important issue squeezes it off the calendar." He cited the Supreme Court's upcoming decision on Roe v. Wade, as an "example [where] we would be tied up in controversy again."
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GOOD MORNING! Welcome to Huddle, the play-by-play guide to all things Capitol Hill, on this Tuesday, June 14, where your Huddle host is thinking of which members were theater kids.
SCOTUS SCUTTLEBUTT — The House will vote today on Senate-passed legislation to extend security protection to the families of Supreme Court justices following a month-long standoff between the two chambers. The decision to pass the Senate bill as-is comes after an hours-long drama: A source familiar told POLITICO early Monday afternoon that the bill would be on the floor Tuesday but expanded to include family members of Supreme Court employees. That sparked immediate pushback from Cornyn and Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who warned that the revised bill wouldn't get 60 votes. House Democrats then had an animated discussion during a closed-door steering meeting, where members of the Judiciary Committee backed the broader scope while others pointed to the GOP comments to warn it would be DOA in the Senate. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) publicly kvetched about the Senate GOP opposition to the broader language—but House Democratic leaders untimely decided to put the Senate bill without changes on the floor and allow it to quickly go to Biden's desk. PRIMARY PREVIEW — It's primary day in four states: Maine, Nevada, North Dakota and South Carolina. Here's what we're watching: South Carolina: In the 7th and 1st districts, there are Trump-backed candidates aiming to oust sometimes-critics of the former president. Republican Rep. Tom Rice, who voted to impeach the former president after the Jan. 6 insurrection, faces a challenge from 37-year-old state Rep. Russell Fry (and others.) Ally Mutnick reports from Myrtle Beach: How Trump radicalized Tom Rice In the 1st district, Katie Arrington is backed by Trump and is trying to knock off Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who has swung between criticizing Trump and backing him. (Remember this Olivia classic from a month ago? Nancy Mace wobbles on the Trump tightrope) In South Carolina, a candidate needs to get more than 50% of the vote to avoid a June 28 runoff. Maine: Republican voters in Maine will choose between former Rep. Bruce Poliquin and far-right candidate Liz Caruso. Whoever wins will face Democratic Rep. Jared Golden, who narrowly beat Poliquin in 2018. Nevada: Former Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt has received Trump's endorsement in his race for the GOP nomination for the Senate. He was a Nevada co-chair of Trump's 2020 campaign and has been a loud supporter of Trump's lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him. In a tele-rally last week, the former president told supporters that a Laxalt win would be a birthday present (Trump's birthday is today). Republican businessman and retired Army Capt. Sam Brown is banking on small dollar donors to beat the big-name endorsements. Whoever wins will face Incumbent Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto in what is expected to be one of the toughest Senate races this cycle. 1st: Rep. Dina Titus is first up against progressive candidate Amy Vilela, who snagged Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) endorsement last week. 3rd: Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) faces a challenge from Randell Hynes and five Republicans are facing off to try and flip the seat. Zach Montellaro has a full preview of what to watch: Trump's revenge tour and battleground Nevada: What to watch in Tuesday's primaries | | | | 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. | | |
UNIMAGINABLE LOSS — Rep. Sean Casten's (D-Ill.) 17-year-old daughter, Gwen Casten, died Monday morning at the family's home. "This morning, congressman Casten's beloved daughter, Gwen, passed away," Casten's office said in a statement Monday evening. "The Casten family requests privacy, and we will be issuing no further comment during this heartbreaking time."
Casten's campaign asked all Illinois TV stations to pull his campaign spots off the air until further notice and his fellow incumbent freshman, Democratic Rep. Marie Newman, who is running in the same district in the upcoming primary elections, immediately followed suit. | | |
WILL ON THE HILL — Lawmakers took the stage on Monday night for the Shakespeare Theatre Company's "Will on the Hill" production alongside Justin Guarini, who played a present-day version of William Shakespeare himself (you might remember Guarini from American Idol, although his actor bio focused on his more recent accomplishments). The show delivered laughs, despite a last minute casting change.
Wishing for Wicker: Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) who was set to have the most significant role of any of the lawmakers, came down with Covid on the day of the performance. The show's playwright, Nat Cassidy, stepped in to give a delightful performance of Maxwell, Shakespeare's assistant, full of physical humor and perfect timing. The announcement about the casting swap cited Wicker as "brilliant" in rehearsals, which made your Huddle host wish badly to see the senator scrambling on the floor to gather Shakespere's drafts or shouting into the Bard's phone (or being called "Maxi, baby.") Casting directors take note: Florida Republican Rep. Kat Cammack proved her comedy chops with full commitment to her small roles and brought a saucy energy that cracked up the audience each time she appeared. CNN's Dana Bash drew laughs when she put on her serious journalist hat and grilled Shakespeare on contradictions in his work (Why do all the characters in Measure for Measure have Italian names, despite being set in Vienna?) Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) was a good sport, donning a silver bucket hat and R2D2 t-shirt to portray a droid (or alien?) in a mixed-up retelling of one of the Bard's classics. Proceeds from the show support STC's education, artistic and community engagement programs. The workshops for students were on display with outstanding performances from Charles H. Flowers high school students, who brought down the house with classic Sharkespeare scenes reimagined with rhythmic step dance. | | | | 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. | | | | |
QUICK LINKS
'A huge lag time': DoD struggles to rush cutting-edge tech to Ukraine , from Lee Hudson and Bryan Bender Lawmakers Make Bipartisan Push for New Government Powers to Block U.S. Investments in China, from By Kate O'Keeffe, Natalie Andrews and Heather Somerville for The Wall Street Journal Herschel Walker claimed to be in law enforcement when he wasn't, from Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 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.). TODAY IN CONGRESS The House convenes at 10 a.m. for morning hour and noon for legislative business. The Senate convenes at 11 a.m. Roll call votes are expected, but not scheduled. | | | | A message from Genentech:   | | |
AROUND THE HILL
10:15 a.m. House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Vice Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) hold their weekly news conference (Studio A). 10:45 a.m. House GOP Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.), GOP Conference Vice Chair Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Reps. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) hold a press conference following the GOP conference meeting (Studio A). 11 a.m. Hoyer will hold his pen-and-pad briefing (H-107) 2 p.m. Senate Republican and Democratic leaders hold separate post-lunch press conferences (Ohio Clock Corridor). | | |
MONDAY'S WINNER: C. Conley Lowrance III correctly answered that what made the opening session of the 80th Congress so special was that it was televised.
TODAY'S QUESTION: What event was televised three days later from the House chamber? 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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