Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Vows To Work With Lawmakers To 'Substantially Reduce Violent Crime' Following Latest Mass Shooting
CNN: White House Focuses On Death Penalty In Piecemeal Gun Control Package
The Trump administration is preparing a package of legislative measures responding to a spate of recent mass shootings, aides said Monday, even as White House and congressional staffs remain far apart on the best path forward. The package will include legislation that would expedite the death penalty for people found guilty of mass killings, Vice President Mike Pence's chief of staff told reporters. But it's unlikely to include new provisions expanding background checks on gun sales after President Donald Trump backed off support for such steps following outcry from the National Rifle Association and warnings about the political consequences. (Liptak, 9/2)
Reuters: White House To Propose Expedited Death Penalty For Perpetrators Of Mass Shootings
U.S. Attorney General William Barr has drafted legislation that would speed the death penalty for people who have committed mass murder, a White House official said on Monday. Marc Short, chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence, told reporters on Air Force 2 that the measure would be part of a package of gun legislation that the White House intends to propose to Congress. (9/2)
Politico: Trump Steers Clear Of Background Checks As Possible Solution On Guns
Following Saturday’s shootings in West Texas, President Donald Trump on Sunday remained firm that his “administration is committed to working with Congress to stop the menace of mass attacks” but did not include universal background checks as part of the solution this time. Trump largely attributed the shootings to mental health issues and said the mass attacks have “been going on for a long time” and that he wants to reduce them. (Quilantan, 9/1)
Reuters: Trump Says Background Checks Would Not Have Prevented Recent Gun Violence
Trump said at the White House that "for the most part, as strong as you make your background checks, they would not have stopped any of it." Last month, a gunman killed 22 people and wounded another 24 in El Paso, Texas, while another assailant killed nine and injured 27 in Dayton, Ohio. (Holland and Shalal, 9/1)
The Associated Press: Trump Says He'll Work With Congress To Stop Mass Shootings
President Donald Trump expressed a commitment Sunday, hours after the latest deadly mass shooting, to work with a divided Congress to "stop the menace of mass attacks." He said any measures must satisfy the competing goals of protecting public safety and the constitutional right to gun ownership and seemed to cast fresh doubt on the merits of instituting more thorough background checks for gun purchases. Trump spoke shortly after the death toll in Saturday's rampage in West Texas rose to seven as authorities worked to understand why a man pulled over for a traffic infraction opened fire on state troopers and fled. He shot more than 20 people before he was killed by police. A motive has not been released. (Superville, 9/1)
The Washington Post: Democrats Press Trump, GOP To Tighten Gun Controls After Odessa Mass Shooting
Democrats on Sunday pleaded with President Trump and congressional Republicans to tighten gun restrictions in the wake of a mass shooting in West Texas that pushed the number of people killed in such incidents to more than 50 in August alone. Trump dismissed tougher background checks — “they would not have stopped any of it” — and suggested that Saturday’s shooting, which left seven dead and 19 wounded, had done little to change his calculus on gun control as talks continue between administration officials and some in Congress. (Sonmez and Winfield Cunningham, 9/1)
USA Today: 'Congress Has A Lot Of Thinking To Do' On Gun Control After Midland-Odessa Shooting
A day after the country's latest mass shooting, the fourth high-profile one since the House of Representatives went on recess at the end of July, President Donald Trump said lawmakers have "a lot of thinking to do" about ways to address gun violence. Saturday's deadly shooting in the area of Midland-Odessa, Texas, renewed lawmakers' demands for action on gun control once Congress returns from recess on Sept. 9. (Wu, 9/1)
CBS Dallas / Fort Worth: Background Checks, Red Flag Laws Discussed After 2 Deadly Mass Shootings In Texas
In a tweet Monday, Governor Greg Abbott revealed the shooter responsible for the deadly shooting in Odessa previously failed a background check to buy a gun in Texas. In the same tweet, the Governor said the killer didn’t go through a background check for the gun he used in Saturday’s shooting. The Governor did not reveal other details and a spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Public Safety didn’t return a call from CBS 11. (Fink, 9/2)
