BIDEN BARGES IN. There’s something remarkable about the gun debate that has arisen in the aftermath of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Compared to years past, the argument on Capitol Hill is somewhat muted. Yes, members of the House of Representatives are yelling at each other, but that’s nothing unusual. But in the Senate, where the real work on a gun deal is going on, the talk is quiet and the anticipation low. At least, until President Joe Biden jumped into it.

Before the president’s speech Thursday night, the mood in the Senate had been managed expectations. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), perhaps the Senate’s leading gun control advocate, stressed that Democrats know they cannot pass a big policy initiative, such as an assault weapons ban, so they are instead focused on making progress in smaller steps.