When the writer Tom Yates, now back in the White House fold, asks Leann whether the first lady cares about guns, Leann says, “What’s that got to do with anything?” Translation: Political gain is far more important than actually getting a serious social issue resolved. What’s far more irksome is Claire’s willingness to toss aside the entire bill - one she feels passionately about, if her teary robocall pleas are to be believed - in order to placate the N.R.A.
politics should remain in steady alignment with “ Schoolhouse Rock,” it’s all a little irksome.
But for those who firmly believe that TV shows about D.C. The behind-the-scenes details are kept deliberately vague, and perhaps many viewers won’t care about them anyway.
She certainly could draft a bill and persuade a member of Congress to be its sponsor, but since doing that would not enable Claire to take full credit for the legislation, that’s not quite how “House of Cards” characterizes what’s happening here. It’s odd that the seemingly astute Melman does not call Claire on this.Īlso, for the record, the first lady - who is neither a member of Congress nor an elected official of any kind - cannot introduce legislation. But on the off chance they supported it, it seems like the president would not have a lot of sway over a Senate controlled by his opposing party. Can an administration promise that the Senate will kill a bill? Assuming the makeup of that body has not changed since last season, the Republicans are still running things, which means a pro-gun-control bill probably would be killed anyway. That’s a lot of plot twists, and they don’t all make sense. Austin stays onboard, voices his backing for the bill and eventually gets kicked aside after the N.R.A.’s Julia Melman - tipped off by Claire that the president will ensure the bill gets killed in the Senate - reminds him that the gun lobby basically owns him. contributions) that he has to support Claire’s bill or be booted from vice-presidential consideration, which is what the Underwoods actually want. After offering him a spot on the ticket, Frank tells the National Rifle Association supporter (and recipient of significant N.R.A. The Underwoods are only using the gun bill as political leverage to undermine Senator Dean Austin, the Democratic Party’s choice to be Frank’s running mate. Finally, the United States of America will have more effective checks and balances on firearms purchases! It also enables the Underwoods to target their gun control lobbying efforts in a way that elicits a groundswell of public support, putting an overwhelming amount of pressure on Congress to get the legislation passed. The firm owned by Aidan MacAllan now has access to National Security Administration databases, unleashing a treasure trove of so much plentiful information that it prompts Aidan to host a shirtless rave party for one in his office. As the Underwoods’s presidential election plan of 2016 shifts into an even faster gear, “House of Cards” zeros in on yet another polarizing issue: gun control.