A gun control leader calls it quits

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Oct 03, 2023 View in browser   By Myah Ward, Lauren Egan and Lawrence Ukenye Presented by Welcome to POLITICO’s West Wing Playbook, your guide to the people and power centers in the Biden administration. With help from producer Raymond Rapada. Send tips | Subscribe here | Email Lauren | Email Myah | Email Lawrence PETER AMBLER, the longtime executive director of the gun violence prevention group Giffords, is stepping down after 10 years with the organization. He won’t leave the movement entirely — he's staying on board with Giffords as an adviser — but his departure represents a major changing of the guard for one of the more important advocacy communities in the progressive tent. At a coffee shop in Southeast D.C., he shared the news with POLITICO. He also talked about his time at the vanguard of the gun policy debates; from the lows (like the phone call he received as a young legislative director when his boss, then-Rep. GABBY GIFFORDS, was shot in the head) to the highs (passage of reform legislation this past year). This conversation has been edited for length. Why step down now?  I’ve been thinking about this for a while. I was at a dinner with David Axelrod two months ago. He was at the other end of the table. I guess he just left the University of Chicago. Like “Oh, why are you leaving?” And he basically perked his head up and said, “Nobody should run anything for more than 10 years.” I was like, “Alright, Peter.” It sort of jolted me.  Not only have the politics around guns changed, but so has the make-up of the movement. There are a ton of organizations now instead of just the big players.     I’ve heard a lot along the way, “Well there’s just one NRA, shouldn’t there be just one anti-NRA?” Oftentimes what matters as much as message is messenger. And being able to have different leaders and different institutions that are coming at this problem from different perspectives is very helpful.  What approach have you found works best for moving Biden?  The day that Manchin-Toomey [the gun proposal to expand background checks] was filibustered, Gabby was sitting with then-Vice President Biden. And she was devastated. The vice president said something like, “Gabby, this is a dark day for the Congress and for the country. But what you’ll see here is this will catalyze people.” And that’s exactly what happened.  To an extent, we elevate the issue and partner with his administration and his advisers and provide the infrastructure that’s necessary from the outside. He’s somebody that you need to support his policymaking and his work as president more than you need to hold his feet to the fire.  But even with Biden, progress has been incremental. It’s been incremental by necessity. He hasn’t done, like, literally everything, right? But I know he’s considered literally everything and done the vast majority of it. Like any president, there’s a limit to their executive authority.  I describe our approach as sort of radical incrementalism.  What’s been the hardest part of your time as executive director?    I thought that when Gabby was shot, that that would be the most personally I would ever be connected to a tragedy. But one thing that happened along the way is that I had kids.  The day of Uvalde, it was also the last day of my daughter’s [transitional kindergarten]. So I go to the “graduation.” I’m there, and I’m watching this tragedy unfold. A couple days later, my wife and I were taking her to her first day of summer camp. She just starts talking in the backseat, and she started talking about a lockdown drill that she’d done in school. And she talked about the kids shot at a different school, asking if that was going to happen to her?  Having a very real human experience like that… It just makes me furious.  Do you feel like you’re leaving with more optimism than when you began?  I’m an optimistic person. I think that the gun safety movement, with Giffords as a very critical part of it, has proven the doubters wrong. We’ve punched above our weight.  What did Gabby say when you told her your news?  She said, “Sad. End of an era.”  MESSAGE US — Are you THERESA BRADLEY, White House presidential speechwriter? We want to hear from you. And we’ll keep you anonymous! Email us at westwingtips@politico.com. Did someone forward this email to you? Subscribe here!    A message from the Computer & Communications Industry Association: WASHINGTON NEEDS TO KNOW: America’s leading tech innovators are powering opportunity for us all. Helping us explore the world and find new information. In the global race for innovation, America is charting the course — with new discoveries from leading tech innovators empowering small businesses, driving our economy forward, and unlocking the vast potential of AI. Learn more by clicking here.   POTUS PUZZLER Thanks to the White House Historical Association for this question! Which president met former Beatle, GEORGE HARRISON, at the White House? (Answer at bottom.) The Oval HOW TO LOSE A GAVEL IN 10 MONTHS: Just when we thought it couldn’t get any messier for KEVIN MCCARTHY, the last 24 hours have thrown us into untrodden territory. McCarthy didn’t survive an effort led by MATT GAETZ (R-Fla.) to oust him from his role, with Democrats joining eight Republicans to back a House speaker’s removal for the first time in 113 years, our KATHERINE TULLY-MCMANUS reports. The White House, to no one’s surprise, wouldn’t touch the subject with a 10-foot-pole. “We’re not going to get involved when it comes to who either the Senate or the House is going to choose to lead them,” press secretary KARINE JEAN-PIERRE told reporters earlier Tuesday. And in no way offering any clarity to our confusion in Monday’s newsletter, she again declined to say whether McCarthy and Biden had a side deal on a floor vote on future Ukraine funding. Don’t expect this to be the end of the saga, as McCarthy’s allies fully expect he may try to run for speaker again. PATTY MURRAY, IT’S YOUR TIME: With the speakership vacant, the Senate president pro tempore is now second in line for the president. This is her second time being second in line. ABOUT THAT UKRAINE AID: Will McCarthy or whoever ends up speaker bring it up for a vote? When? Does anyone know what the hell is happening on the House floor for the next few days or weeks? Well, in the interim, Biden on Tuesday convened a call with U.S. allies to reassure them of ongoing American support for Ukraine after Congress passed a stopgap funding bill that excluded additional aid for Kyiv, our KELLY GARRITY reports. National Security Council spokesperson JOHN KIRBY told reporters at today’s White House press briefing that the world leaders discussed providing Kyiv with more weapons and how to protect its energy infrastructure. “Time is not our friend,” Kirby said. “We have enough funding authorities to meet Ukraine’s battlefield needs for a bit longer but we need Congress to act to ensure there is no disruption in our support.” COMING SOON TO A TV NEAR YOU: Biden’s reelection campaign is launching a 16-week, $25 million ad push to showcase the president’s efforts to reduce drug prices and invest in clean energy, Bloomberg’s JORDAN FABIAN and NANCY COOK report. The new spot — which will air in battleground states during ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars,” “Bachelor in Paradise” and NFL programs — is designed to reach swing state voters as well as Black and Latino voters by highlighting Biden’s middle class background. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS YOU TO READ: This blog post by MSNBC’s JA’HAN JONES about Biden’s interview with ProPublica’s JOHN HARWOOD. Jones describes the conversation as an “era-defining interview” and highlights a variety of topics the president discussed, including threats to democracy and the viability of his reelection bid. White House deputy communications director HERBIE ZISKEND posted the story on X. WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE DOESN’T WANT YOU TO READ: This story by Semafor’s BENJY SARLIN about how a record number of voters trust Republicans to manage the economy over Democrats. Fifty-three percent of respondents said the GOP would be better at “keeping the country prosperous,” while only 39 percent favored Democrats. The poll is yet another indicator suggesting that the White House’s “Bidenomics” banner has yet to convince voters the president’s policies are working.   GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.     THE BUREAUCRATS DIVERSITY DILEMMA: Senior DNC officials are sounding the alarm about the lack of diversity among delegates for the upcoming convention, our BRAKKTON BOOKER reports. Diminishing support among Black and Hispanic voters is likely to blame for the decline as state parties revamp their diversity goals based on changing census patterns. AN EASY GUY TO SHOP FOR: Word of Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN’s love for music has gotten around the globe. At least eight foreign diplomats and leaders have gifted Blinken “guitars or accessories like guitar straps as customary gifts,” NYT’s MICHAEL CROWLEY reports. Crowley also writes about how music has been an important diplomatic tool for Blinken. After official business had concluded at a G7 meeting in Hiroshima in April, “Blinken produced a small travel guitar he sometimes takes on foreign trips. [Japan’s former foreign minister YOSHIMASA HAYASHI] brought his own,” Crowley writes. “With the help of a karaoke machine, they strummed chords as the other ministers, briefly forgetting matters like Ukraine and climate change, joyously sang along.” Again, we ask, what is the definitive song for Blinken to cover? FIRST IN WEST WING PLAYBOOK: CHRISTINA HALE has been named assistant administrator for women’s business ownership in the Office of Entrepreneurial Development at the Small Business Administration, our DANIEL LIPPMAN has learned. She most recently was the associate administrator for the SBA’s Office of Communications and Public Liaison and is a former Indiana state representative.   A message from the Computer & Communications Industry Association:   Agenda Setting WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE: Illinois Gov. J.B. PRITZKER penned a letter to Biden on Monday urging him to provide more federal support to help his state address the influx of migrants, NBC News’ NATASHA KORECKI reports. Pritzker also criticized other states for bussing migrants to major cities. “We are a nation that has welcomed immigrants and refugees since our founding, and we have done so in a bipartisan manner,” he wrote. “It cannot be that just a few cities and states should now bear the cost of this effort alone.” BIG PHARMA ACTUALLY TAKES AN L: Ten pharmaceutical companies including Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb will participate in the Biden administration’s program allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, HHS announced. Several firms initially targeted the administration with lawsuits over concerns that the new rules would curtail profits for companies and limit research and development.   DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO APP: Stay in the know with the POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID.     What We're Reading Master and Commander: Biden’s dog troubles hint at a larger problem (WaPo’s Matt Bai) As the president pushes gun safety, Hunter Biden will mount a Second Amendment defense (POLITICO's Betsy Woodruff Swan and Myah Ward) Why Obama’s “Car Czar” Thinks Biden Should Stay Out of the U.A.W. Strike (The New Yorker’s Isaac Chotiner) The Oppo Book Domestic policy adviser NEERA TANDEN’s favorite childhood food was bhindi, an Indian dish made of fried okra. “Everytime I have it or smell it, it does bring back fond memories of growing up and actually cooking Indian food,” she said on the Democracy in Color with Steve Phillips podcast. Neera, what’s your current favorite dish? POTUS PUZZLER ANSWER President GERALD FORD and his family met Harrison on Dec. 13, 1974, at the White House while Harrison was on his North American tour. President Ford’s son, JACK FORD, attended Harrison’s concert that November where they met backstage, according to the White House Historical Association. A CALL OUT! Do you think you have a harder trivia question? Send us your best one about the presidents, with a citation or sourcing, and we may feature it! Edited by Eun Kyung Kim and Sam Stein.   A message from the Computer & Communications Industry Association: HEADS UP, WASHINGTON: American tech companies continue to propel us forward. Not only is technological innovation an integral part of the way we live, it’s also critical to our nation’s economic success. Small businesses and startups, large employers and those who keep our country safe, all build their success on American tech. Tech companies and the digital economy are providing consumers with more choices than ever before–empowering them to find new products and explore the world.. Learn more about how American tech helps America grow  by clicking here.     Follow us on Twitter Lauren Egan @Lauren_V_Egan Myah Ward @MyahWard Lawrence Ukenye @Lawrence_Ukenye   Follow us

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