LegiStorm

A rifle importer has hired a new gun to lobby Congress to overturn a presidential executive action that bans the importation of vintage World War II rifles.

Red, White and Blue LLC wants to bring a huge supply of M1 Garand rifles back to the United States from South Korea. The firearms are prohibited from private purchase by an executive action aimed at blocking the importation of all military assault weapons. The Chantilly, Va., firm has hired lobbyist Bruce Hock, a former Senate Armed Services Committee staffer, to help bring back the guns. Red, White and Blue already has a contract with lobbyist Michael Pieper, former chief of staff for the late Rep. Barbara Vucanovich (R-Nev.). 

The M1 Garand rifle, the Army's standard-issue firearm from 1936-57, has become a collector's item because of its World War II role. During the Cold War, however, the United States provided hundreds of thousands of them to South Korea for possible use against Russia, making them a scarce commodity in the United States. South Korea recently decided to upgrade its firearms and is looking to sell their old rifles to U.S. collectors to defray upgrade costs.

President Obama's 2013 executive action has been a contentious topic for Second Amendment enthusiasts and gun dealers. Red, White and Blue LLC has spent more than $111,000 in lobbying since 2012. A single M1 Garand with most of its original parts easily can sell for $4,000.

The new military legislative assistant for Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) has a resume steeped in Duke University's perennial basketball program.

While earning his bachelor's degree in public policy studies, Pat Thompson enrolled in the Army ROTC program and worked as the student manager for Duke's basketball team. Following his enrollment in a master's program at Duke, Thompson returned to the court as the team's director of basketball operations. In his new role, Thompson worked closely with team leadership and coach Mike Krzyzewski to schedule the team's practices and organize logistical details, including players' travel itineraries.

Following his graduation from Duke with an MA in Christian studies, Thompson stayed with the team for another year before joining the lobbying group Booz Allen Hamilton as a senior consultant.

With Wittman, Thompson will tap into his ROTC background to help the congressman on military and veterans issues.

Congressional travel continued to trend upwards in 2015, with both the number of trips and their costs reaching new heights since 2005.

The final numbers for 2015 show members of Congress and their staffs took 2,175 trips worth nearly $6.2 million. Both are high-water marks since congressional travel rules were strengthened following the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Both, however, pale in comparison to 2005's pre-reform totals, with 4,917 trips at nearly $10 million.

The Congressional Institute sponsored the most trips in 2015, accounting for more than a quarter. All of the institute's 547 sponsored trips in 2015 were taken by Republicans. However, the American Israel Education Foundation spent the most money funding congressional travel in 2015, paying $1.3 million to bring 49 Democrats and 40 Republicans to the West Bank and Israel.

The West Bank and Israel also were the most common destinations for privately financed trips in 2015, with 269 excursions and $3.8 million spent between the two. A distant third was Germany, which was visited 62 times for $619,381. Canada and Guatemala rounded out the top five for popular destinations. Tanzania vaulted to the fourth spot for total travel costs — $376,277.

For the second straight year, Cuba proved to be a hotspot, hosting 22 congressional trips for $61,614. Sixteen of those trips were sponsored by the Center for Democracy in the Americas, which brought three parties into Havana — one at the end of May and two in mid-October.

Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) led Congress with seven trips in 2015. However, he came in second for total costs, at $45,593, behind only Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.), whose trips to Berlin and Israel cost $46,734.

Congressional members and their staffers took to Twitter over the weekend to react to Justice Antonin Scalia's death and, in some cases, fire political barbs.

Here are some of their Tweets:

"Remembering meeting Justice Scalia in Montana during his summer visits to fly fish. A great American hero who will be dearly missed."

Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.)

"Justice #Scalia was a trailblazer & role model for judicial debate. His powerful presence on the Supreme Court will be missed. #SCOTUS"

Conn Carroll, communications director, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)

"President Obama's 'pen and phone' is very powerful. It can nominate SupremeCourt justices. It cannot, however, confirm them."

Alex Wong, foreign policy adviser/general counsel, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.)

"Conservative lawyers owe #Scalia much but so do liberals: many say his opinions most challenging—sharpened their thinking, made them better"

Sarah K. Trister, legislative director, Rep. David Cicilline (D-R.I.)

"I guess @marcorubio is sticking with his anti-marriage, anti-equality message, referenced Obergefell dissent to praise #Scalia"

Dante Atkins, press secretary, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.)

"Word on the street is, Obama murdered Scalia. Very bad judgment not to murder him before the ACA cases though. Always puts compromise first."

Kevin Saucedo Broach, scheduler, Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.)

"Just want to remind the world that a picture exists of #Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg riding an elephant together. https://t.co/YpcZ0e71Un"

Connie Hair, chief of staff, Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas)

"Cruz lighting up Fox News right now talking about Justice Scalia. Funny, witty, man who was full of life."

Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.)

"A year is too long to leave a vacancy on the Supreme Court. There are important questions like abortion and EPA to be decided."

Greg Brooks, communications director, Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio)

"That shining city on the hill grew a little dimmer tonight. RIP Scalia https://t.co/MZ4Vyuayjv"

Corey Jacobson, legislative assistant, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.)

"Shameful that @SenateMajLdr would rule out a vote on a Supreme Court nominee under current Pres 1hr after Scalia's passing (let alone ever)"

Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)

"Justice Scalia believed in following the constitution to the letter. Let's follow it now and fill this vacancy. #SCOTUS"

Jeffrey Thacker, field representative, Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.)

"I've got to be honest...the loss of my favorite all-time Supreme Court Justice, has kind of been a downer on Prez Day for me. :("

A new staffer for Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) has a distinguished military background, which she shared with her identical twin sister.

Vanessa Hicks-Callaway and sister Jennifer Hicks-McGowan joined the Army in 1987 after graduating from Victoria High School in Texas. They intended to take advantage of the GI Bill and go to college but ended up staying in the Army and serving in the Middle East.

Hicks-Callaway served 23 of her 26 years in the Army on active duty and earned a litany of awards and decorations, including a Bronze Star, and attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. She served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Following her ambitions to one day run for political office, Hicks-Callaway starts in Congress as Farenthood's constituent liaison in his Victoria district office. Her sister, who also retired as a lieutenant colonel, is a professor of military science at Jackson State University.