Senate gun negotiations carried on this week after encountering a few speed bumps.
That’s why I had another top Capitol Hill reporter on the show. This week, I’m joined by Burgess Everett of Politico. He has spent decades reporting on and talking to the key senators at the center of the gun deal.
Everett said that while the deal has a lot of momentum, he’s seen many so-called must-pass bills fail. He said that red flag grants being expanded to non-red-flag laws and how gun prohibitions should be extended to those that commit violence against their girlfriends are creating the most consternation. How those details get ironed out could determine whether a deal gets through at all.
But Everett said the way senators are planning to change the background check system to get at juvenile criminal records is likely to be much more consequential than those two provisions. It appears the plan is to create a special new process for those 18 to 20 years old, one that includes a pseudo waiting period to ensure the FBI can access the often-sealed records.
Despite the complexity and impact of the background check change, Everett said it has yet to generate any noticeable controversy among the senators.
Mary Katharine Ham joins the show for a members’ segment too. She explains her background with guns and what it’s like to do shows on CNN or ABC while being a pro-gun commentator.
Plus, Contributing Writer Jake Fogleman and I discuss Texas Governor Gregg Abbott’s (R.) policy response to the Uvalde shooting.
You can listen to the show on your favorite podcasting app or by clicking here.
The full show is also available on our YouTube channel.
