Maine Dem flips on assault weapons ban after massacre

On first full day, Speaker Johnson meets with Biden

Also in today’s edition of ‘Regular Order’ for October 27, 2023:

• Expulsion and censure resolutions fly in House.

• Georgia Democrats win a big redistricting case.

• Rep. Santos back in court today in New York.

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GUNS. When 18 people are killed by a heavily armed gunman in your hometown, sometimes your thoughts change. That happened for Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME). A day after a massacre in Lewiston, Maine, Golden publicly apologized to his home state, announcing that he would now support efforts to ban assault weapons - after repeatedly voting against that in Congress.

• GOLDEN. "I have opposed efforts to ban deadly weapons of war like the assault rifle used to carry out this crime," Golden told a news conference in Maine. "The time has now come for me to take responsibility for this failure, which is why I now call on the United States Congress to ban assault rifles."

• MAGAZINES. Alongside Golden, Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) - who has supported and then opposed an assault weapons ban - said she would rather back limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines. "I think that would have more input and more effectiveness," Collins told reporters.

• GOP. The last time something happened like this was after a mass shooting in Buffalo in 2022. Rep. Chris Jacobs (R-NY) suddenly announced his support for an assault weapons ban, plus limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines. Jacobs abandoned his reelection bid one week later, after a GOP backlash.

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GROUNDHOG DAY. Flags were lowered to half-staff to honor the dead in Maine, as the slaughter brought familiar statements from the White House. "Once again, our nation is in mourning after yet another senseless and tragic mass shooting," President Biden said.

• ACTION. Biden again pressed Republicans to act. "Work with us to pass a bill banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, to enact universal background checks, to require safe storage of guns, and end immunity from liability for gun manufacturers," he said.

• SPEAKER. On Capitol Hill, newly-elected House Speaker Mike Johnson defaulted to a spiritual, rather than a legislative, response. "Prayer is appropriate in a time like this," Johnson said, "that the evil can end and this senseless violence can stop."

• DEMS. That line swiftly drew attacks from Democrats. "Americans are sick of your 'thoughts and prayers,’" said Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA). "Thoughts and prayers are useless if no work is done," said Rep. Jahana Hayes (D-CT).

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GUNS. On Thursday, I mentioned a Senate vote on guns. It took on a different feel when we learned the Maine gunman was an Army reservist with mental health issues. The Senate voted 53-45 to block the VA from reporting - to the gun sale background check system - information about veterans deemed mentally incompetent.

• RIGHTS. Supporters say this is all about the Second Amendment - that bureaucrats shouldn’t be allowed to send VA mental health information to stop you from buying guns. They say only a judge should do that.

• PINE TREE. The plan was backed by both Senators from Maine - Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Angus King (I-ME). Their votes might have faded away, if not for the Lewiston shootings.

• S.AMDT. 1354. The text of the amendment from Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) would block the VA from reporting someone 'deemed mentally incapacitated, mentally incompetent,' or 'a person who has been adjudicated as a mental defective.' In other words, those people could still buy guns.

• VOTE. All Republicans were joined by three Senate Democrats in voting for the plan: Manchin WV, Rosen NV, and Tester MT. Two Independents also voted for the amendment - Sinema of Arizona, and King of Maine.

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SPEAKER. The whirlwind continues for new House Speaker Mike Johnson. On his first full day in the job, Johnson had a quick meeting with President Biden at the White House. He met with Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell. And Johnson wrapped it up with a Sean Hannity interview on Fox News.

• JOHNSON. The Speaker was at the White House for a classified briefing with other Congressional leaders, as Congress looks to act soon on the President’s request for emergency aid to both Israel and Ukraine.

• MCCONNELL. Johnson ventured across the Capitol to meet - for the first time - Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell. "I’m looking forward to working together to advance a conservative agenda," the Speaker said.

• FOX NEWS. "The problem is the human heart, it's not guns," Speaker Johnson told Hannity last night when asked about the Maine massacre. "At the end of the day, we have to protect the rights of the citizens to protect themselves."

• HOUSE FLOOR. Johnson’s time as Speaker started with the House approving a bill to fund federal energy and water programs. “I promised we were going to get back to work & today we proved it,” the Speaker tweeted.

• HOUSE GOP. What a crazy month this has been for House Republicans, as they try to pick up the pieces after their bizarre 22-day battle. More in my column this week for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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GOP FALLOUT. Meanwhile, the finger pointing continued, as Republicans again took aim at Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for ousting Speaker Kevin McCarthy. "The blood is on his hands for 22 wasted days," said Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO), who slammed Gaetz. "He's all about himself. He's not about conservatism."

• CLOSET. Gaetz was more than happy to play those remarks on his nightly web broadcast, as he attacked Smith - and all but accused the Missouri Republican of being gay. (Yes, you read that right.)

• GAETZ. "If Jason Smith is breathing, he is living a lie," said Gaetz. "And Jason Smith knows exactly what I'm talking about. And by the way, so does every member of the House Republican Caucus."

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REGULAR ORDER. I have covered the halls of Congress since 1986. I am hearing and seeing stuff that I never could have imagined as a reporter (just see the last item). “I am so glad I signed up for your newsletter,” one reader recently wrote. Since I can’t go on TV or radio to publicize my work, you can help me out by signing up, giving someone a gift subscription, or you can always just buy me a drink.

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VIVA DE LA SANTOS. Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is due in federal court on Long Island this morning where he is expected to be arraigned on new federal criminal charges filed against him. On Thursday, Santos denied that he was on the verge of quitting. "I’m not resigning," Santos tweeted.

• VOTES. But when Santos missed all 30 roll call votes on the House floor yesterday, that raised eyebrows - especially after a tweet late on Wednesday night. "Everything has an end in life," Santos wrote.

• EXPULSION. Fed up with Santos, New York Republicans are ready to expel him from the House, as a GOP group introduced an expulsion resolution on Thursday.

• EMPIRE. "George Santos’ many misdeeds deem him unable to properly represent the people of New York’s 3rd Congressional District," said Rep. Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY). "New Yorkers deserve better than scam-artist George Santos," said Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY).

• MOTION. It's not clear if the House will really hold a full-fledged expulsion vote. Some vote on the plan must occur next week.

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CENSURE FIGHTS. Thursday not only brought an expulsion resolution against Santos, but also dueling censure resolutions. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) filed one against Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). A few hours later, Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) retaliated with one against Greene.

• MRS. GREENE OF GEORGIA. The Greene censure resolution against Tlaib is basically an airing of grievances over Tlaib's past and present criticism of Israel, especially following the terrorist attacks by Hamas. "She must be held accountable and censured," said Greene.

• TLAIB. "I will not be bullied," Tlaib said in response. "Marjorie Taylor Greene's unhinged resolution is deeply Islamophobic and attacks peaceful Jewish anti-war advocates," said Tlaib, whose parents were Palestinian immigrants to the U.S.

• YOU'RE IT. Rep. Balint of Vermont then returned the favor. "There is no place for anti-semitic, Islamophobic, anti-LGBTQ, racist rhetoric and conspiracy theories in the House," Balint said, calling for a censure of Greene.

• MR. FIRE ALARM. Meanwhile, Rep. Lisa McClain (R-MI) has filed a censure resolution against Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) - the guy who pulled the fire alarm in a House office building a few weeks ago.

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CURMUDGEON. I must observe that a 'censure' in the House used to be only for the gravest of situations - supporting the Confederacy, scandals, bribery, fraud, and corruption. Like many things in Congress, that’s changed.

• ATTACKS. Earlier this year, Republicans censured Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) for the crime of investigating Donald Trump. That was a political statement, not a real 'censure' for something bad like having sex with underage House Pages (e.g., Gerry Studds and Dan Crane in 1983).

• FLOOR VOTES. Like the Santos expulsion resolution, there could be votes on these censure resolutions next week in the House.

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GEORGIA. Democrats have won another legal battle in the South over Congressional district lines. A federal judge on Thursday struck down Georgia's current U.S. House map, ruling that it violated the Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting power of Black voters. (This is the same type of ruling that Democrats won in Alabama.)

• DEADLINE. The judge gave the Georgia legislature until December 8 to draw new lines which can pass muster with the courts - in order to use them next year. Governor Brian Kemp called a special session for November 29.

• IMPACT. If this ruling is upheld - Democrats might be expected to pick up a seat in Georgia, just as they will likely do in Alabama.

• LEGAL. Judges have now ruled that GOP-led legislatures in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina all drew Congressional district lines after the 2020 census that discriminated against black voters. You can draw your own conclusions.

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TAR HEEL. Drawn out of his Congressional district by Republicans in the North Carolina state legislature, freshmen Rep. Jeff Jackson (D-NC) has decided not to wait to see if that map will survive any legal challenges. Jackson announced on Thursday that he will run for state Attorney General instead of Congress in 2024.

• FREE STATE. Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) announced on Thursday that he will retire after nine terms. His father, Paul Sarbanes, served 36 years in the House and Senate. (I had my first job on Capitol Hill in 1980 - there has been a Sarbanes in the House or Senate the entire time I have worked here.)

• NUMBERS. As of now, 18 current House members won't be back after the 2024 elections. In the Senate, there are six Senators who won't return.

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CONGRESS. I don't like to focus too much on polling, but I can’t ignore numbers on how voters view the Congress - especially when it shows that Republican voters are starting to trend negatively when ASKED ABOUT THEIR OWN PARTY.

• APPROVAL. Let's take a poll from New Jersey released yesterday. It showed Republicans are split 46-46 on approval of their own party in Congress. Democrats meanwhile see their own party favorably on Capitol Hill, by a 67-21 margin.

• NAVIGATOR. "Since September, Republicans' views of how members of their party in Congress are handling their jobs have eroded substantially," reported Navigator Research, which had GOP voters at 45-49 for their own party.

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MENENDEZ. That poll from New Jersey had terrible results for Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), who faces a series of corruption charges. 72 percent of those surveyed had an unfavorable opinion of Menendez, while just 8 percent were positive.

• FETTERMAN. One of the sharpest critics of Menendez has been Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA). I knew exactly what he was referring to, when he suddenly started laughing loudly and screaming "EIGHT PERCENT?!?!" "I think that actually might be high," Fetterman told reporters, laughing uproariously.

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RAP SHEET. A Colorado man has pleaded guilty to attacking police officers on Jan. 6. Jonathan Grace joined other rioters in trying to break a line of officers in the Lower West Terrance Tunnel entrance to the Capitol, where some of the most violent attacks occurred that day.

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MUSE OF HISTORY. October 27, 1807. Amid rising anger at British hostilities on the open seas against American vessels, Congress convened early on this date, called back into session by President Jefferson. "Circumstances, fellow Citizens, which seriously threatened the peace of our Country have made it a duty to convene you," Jefferson wrote in his message to Congress.

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LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM:

The House next has votes on Wednesday.

The Senate is back on Monday.

Check President Biden’s schedule.

Follow me on Twitter @jamiedupree.

Email me at jamiedupree@substack.com