Toomey staff pitches background checks to White House

WASHINGTON — The background check proposal advanced by Sens. Pat Toomey, R- Pa., and Joe Manchin, D- W. Va., was among the gun law proposals pitched to the White House in recent days, as congressional staffers for both senators look to firm up support for gun legislation by the time lawmakers return in September.

The Manchin- Toomey plan was presented to White House officials as a background checks proposal that can pass the Senate, according to two congressional staffers who requested anonymity to discuss the talks. The broader universal background checks bill passed by House Democrats in February “can’t pass” the Senate, said one staffer, a GOP aide.

Congressional staffers met with Eric Ueland, the White House’s legislative affairs director who has deep experience working on the Hill. Mr. Ueland was joined by three people from the president’s Domestic Policy Council, which considers noneconomic policy, and a staffer from the Office of Management and Budget.

In addition to the background checks, the White House heard more about a bill to require federal authorities to alert state law enforcement within 24 hours when a person prohibited from purchasing a firearm tries to buy one.

That bill, called the NICS Denial Notification Act, was introduced by Mr. Toomey and Sen. Chris Coons, DDel., earlier this year. Federal officials are notified when people such as convicted felons, fugitives and domestic abusers barred from owning firearms attempt to make a purchase. Though these attempted purchases often violate federal and state laws, the federal government rarely prosecutes any of the individuals.

The discussions with the White House also included the “red flag” proposal that was announced by Sen. Lindsay Graham, R- S. C., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D- Conn., earlier this month. That bill would allow police or family members to seek a court order to temporarily take away firearms from a person deemed dangerous.

Both background checks and “red flag” laws have been floated in recent weeks as gun laws that can pass the muster of both the Democraticcontrolled House and the Republican- led Senate.

The meetings with the White House suggest lawmakers are hoping to get something to President Donald Trump quickly. The GOP aide called the meeting an “education session” with the goal of figuring out what Mr. Trump would endorse.

The Manchin- Toomey proposal was first introduced in April 2013 as an amendment to gun legislation in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting — and has not passed the Senate since.

Federal law already requires licensed gun dealers to conduct background checks on gun purchasers and transferees . The Manchin- Toomey proposal attempted to find middle ground by expanding background checks to gun shows and online sales — but not requiring them of family members and friends giving or selling guns to each other.

It is now being presented to the White House as the “consensus” background check proposal, the GOP aide said.

The House version, called the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, goes further, expanding background checks to every unlicensed gun sale or transfer, with more limited exceptions for gifts to family members, hunting, target shooting and self- defense.

Reached for comment, Mr. Toomey’s office confirmed there were recent meetings with the White House. Aides to Mr. Manchin did not respond to requests for comment.