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06/13/2016 07:51 AM EDT


By Burgess Everett (@burgessev or beverett@politico.com)

SHOOTINGS SHOCK HILL: Congress is being jolted out of its placid election-year routine by the killings of 50 people in Orlando, provoking immediate debates about terrorism, gun control, religion and gay rights. Lawmakers spent the day getting briefed on the horrific shootings, going on cable news to offer their latest theories of the case to what's likely to be an emotional month of June. "I have spoken with the FBI and there appears to be a link to Islamic radicalism," Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) said in a statement Sunday afternoon. "I have conferred with additional sources and they think there is likely a connection with ISIS," also known as ISIL. While some lawmakers are focusing on the
latest info, others are publicly searching for alleged shooter Omar Mateen's motivations through the media.

-- Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said the city appears to be the "latest front" in terrorist attacks by "violent Islam." ... Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) said "Congress has become complicit in these murders by its total, unconscionable deafening silence." ... The immediate political gamesmanship prompted Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) to plead with Congress to juggle both the divisive topics of guns and terrorism amid a highly charged political atmosphere. "If it is found out that this person was at least inspired by ISIS, then it'll probably be a terrorism debate. If he wasn't, it may be a gun debate." It "seems to be one or the other," Flake said. Here's my story with SMK and Bres:
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=693115916506182f8db551ca3712575062cac8903900b1376bd82ad98b27a356

Briefings brief: Senate Intel will have its regular closed briefings tomorrow afternoon. CIA Director John Brennan will actually be before the committee in open testimony on Thursday, which was previously scheduled but is likely to center on the Orlando killing.

'AN ACT OF TERROR AND AN ACT OF HATE': In a rare Sunday address, President Barack Obama said that America is grieving after the "horrific massacre" of people at the gay nightclub in Orlando. "We know enough to say that this was an act of terror and an act of hate, and as Americans we are united in grief, in outrage and in resolve to defend our people," he said after meeting with FBI Director James Comey and his homeland security and national security advisers. The president has ordered flags at half staff. Nolan McCaskill: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=693115916506182f71a90422d994ef65904db055e96265380e72fe4fe31f09a3

House Speaker Paul Ryan's statement from late Sunday: "We need to be clear-eyed about who did this. We are a nation at war with Islamist terrorists. Theirs is a repressive, hateful ideology that respects no borders. It is a threat to our people at home and abroad. Our security depends on our refusal to back down in the face of terror. We never will."

HOW TRUMP PLAYED IT: Glenn Thrush writes that presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump dealt with shooting far different than President Obama, calling for Obama to step down and attacking Hillary Clinton. This is probably not exactly what Republicans were hoping for from Trump. "'Appreciate the congrats for being right on radical Islamic terrorism,' Trump tweeted triumphantly mid-Sunday, as the FBI and Orlando police were still pulling bodies from Pulse, a gay nightclub where at least 50 innocents were gunned down. 'I don't want congrats, I want toughness and vigilance.' Then, later, another self-inflicted pat on the back: 'If we do not get tough and smart real fast, we are not going to have a
country anymore,' he added. 'I said this was going to happen - and it is only going to get worse.'" http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=693115916506182f79441ed924a854726aee1d28b288584dfb06c4899f44b360

TICK-TOCK -- The terrifying scene inside Pulse nightclub: "It was 2 a.m., closing time at Pulse. Last call had come and gone. Saturday night had become Sunday morning. But the dance floor remained crowded, with hundreds of sweaty men and women packed into one of Orlando's most popular gay nightclubs, a low-slung building at the corner of W. Esther Street and S. Orange Avenue ... The club's DJ, Ray Rivera, suddenly heard a sound, a pop-pop-pop. Firecrackers? He lowered the music and then heard it again. This was gunfire." WaPo: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=693115916506182f5ac36cd44ae82446bf49bed7e5c7697622f36de186eb1e7f

FBI familiar with Mateen: Marc Caputo and Matt Dixon report that federal officials had spoken to Mateen recently about his ties to suspected terrorists. "FBI special-agent-in-charge Ron Hopper told reporters that Mateen had been interviewed twice in 2013 after he made comments to co-workers about potential ties to terror groups, and another time in 2014." http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=693115916506182fc905e7debc19a0a33e7131bf212cc6c008e3ebf50fa31769

PORTRAIT OF THE KILLER EMERGES: "We were in downtown Miami, Bayside, people were playing music. And he saw two men kissing each other in front of his wife and kid, and he got very angry," Mateen's father, Seddique Mir Mateen, said Sunday. "They were kissing each other and touching each other, and he said: 'Look at that. In front of my son, they are doing that.' And then we were in the men's bathroom, and men were kissing each other." NBC: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=693115916506182f1b0efcdd3554681d44bd3d3af6e329b998c25ac83090e3e8

LGBT community reels: "That the Islamic State could have played a role in the early morning attack, which came during Gay Pride Month, sent shudders through the LGBT community in the United States, where fears of terrorist assaults on soft targets such as schools, shopping centers and nightclubs already were on the rise," writes Halley Toosi. "Gays and lesbians are no strangers to discrimination and violence, but 'historically, gay clubs and bars are a safe place so for that type of environment to be the victim of this is just very traumatizing,' said Ida Eskamani, development officer for Equality Florida, an advocacy group. 'The whole community is just reeling from this.'"
http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=693115916506182fb317d08ab2af4768b8eb963c910b18597ffc6b0f9664114a

More: The Orlando Sentinel is posting stories of each of the victims here: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=693115916506182f66efcda644fe0325cbc7c8d50fd984b1743dab8e162d20ee

A mournful Monday. Welcome to the Huddle, your play-by-play guide to everything Capitol Hill. Please send tips to beverett@politico.com and follow along on Twitter @burgessev.

TODAY IN CONGRESS - The House will be in at noon with suspension votes going down at 6:30 p.m. The Senate is in at 4 p.m. with no votes scheduled today (remember, senators voted on a Friday last week).

AROUND THE HILL - Nada.

OFF THE HILL -- Reps. Elijah Cummings and Steny Hoyer will announce House Democrats' updated "Make it in America" plan at The Foundry at 101 W. Dickman Street, Baltimore at 10 a.m.. Here's an excerpt from Hoyer's speech: "The goal of the Make It In America plan, ultimately, is to attack the growing notion that not even hard work can get you ahead in America anymore. To eliminate the feeling that our economy is leaving our workers behind, that change is unambiguously bad, and that economic forces will inevitably work against them, with no hope - or help - in sight. I disagree with that notion."

HAPPENING THIS A.M.: In Pittsburgh this morning, Sen. Bob Casey "will host a press conference to address the tragic events in Orlando today, next steps as well as announce new legislation to ban those convicted of hate crimes to purchase firearms." More on the Hate Crimes Prevention Act: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=693115916506182f4c9602c80a842e84f4dbdd93d502f29013499ac82c8fb212

DEMS' SHOCK AND BLAH CAMPAIGN: How does this roster of Senate Democratic candidates handle an off-the-cuff Donald Trump that can seize the narrative -- and make his GOP colleagues cringe with controversial comments -- on a daily basis? Step back and let him do his thing. "The shock comes courtesy of Donald Trump, whose rhetoric has Republicans debating whether their own nominee is racist and Democrats more confident than ever it will deliver them control of the Senate. The blah comes from the Democratic candidates themselves, who are abiding by a cardinal rule of politics: When your opponent is self-destructing, get out of the way."

From Vegas -- Catherine Cortez Masto might be the best example of how Democrats can win the Senate as she sticks to low-risk campaigning and lets Republican Joe Heck deal with his support for Trump and all the baggage that comes with it. "Congressman Heck has not disavowed Donald Trump's hate language and discrimination. He's going to support him, and to me that's the problem with some of our electeds in Washington, D.C." Cortez Masto told me a couple weeks ago. When I asked her about Bernie Sanders, should took the topic back to Trump. She's not alone: Many Democratic candidates are keeping things pretty simple as they look to ride an anti-Trump wave. "The most important thing here is that
our candidates, No. 1, are working hard and doing what they need to do. And not making mistakes," said Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Jon Tester of Montana. My story: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=693115916506182f758376b336d309630c89ffd7672339ba1f4af85602e7e30a

TRUMP THREE-PUTTS WITH SENATORS: Trump made an impromptu stop at the "Senators Classic" in Williamsburg on Friday evening, addressing a number of lawmakers, mostly about Hillary Clinton's email server. "She obviously broke the law," Trump said of Clinton, according to a recording of his remarks obtained by POLITICO. "It's a little hard to believe they would have allowed her to go this far." Anna Palmer: http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=693115916506182fa71f7278552d9817bbc579d97e5cb59d4672aae89dd6a514

DIVINING RUBIO'S INTENTIONS: Marco Rubio's West Miami crib is on sale for $720,000, per the Tampa Bay Times. http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=693115916506182f8906c83b23bf06ab2effa38fba388102652ca53592b71ea1

MOVING UP I-95: Sean Coit is heading to Katie McGinty's campaign as communications director, leaving Sen. Chris Coons's office for the top-tier Senate battleground state.

MONDAY'S TRIVIA WINNER - No one answered Heather's question: When and where did the Senate first vote to make its legislative sessions public? So I guess we'll never know.

TODAY'S TRIVIA - I'll take today's question: In 1890 Congress established just the third national park in the country. Name it. The first person to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day's Huddle. Email me at beverett@politico.com

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