| | | | It's been a month since the Florida shootings.
What's changed? | | On Wednesday, students across the country walked out of their classrooms to commemorate the killing of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School one month ago -- and to renew the call for further strictures on gun purchases.
The protests were covered extensively on cable TV. At the gathering outside the Capitol building, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (California) spoke.
The walkout was a precursor to a series of rallies planned in the nation's capitol -- and around the country -- later this month.
It also functions as a moment to reflect on the last month in terms of what lawmakers have done and not done on guns.
The story at the state level is very different than that at the federal level.
Earlier this month, Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) signed into law a measure that bans bump stocks, raises the age to buy a gun from 18 to 21 and allocates more money for arming teachers. The NRA immediately sued, alleging that raising the minimum age to buy a firearm violated individuals' constitutional right to bear arms.
In Congress, there has been no serious attempt to reform gun laws to date. President Trump laid out his own basic principles on guns Sunday night, proposals that included "hardening" schools and enforcing more stringently the background check laws already on the books. Trump's plan notably did not include raising the age at which you can buy a gun, which he had suggested was something he supported following the Parkland, Florida shooting.
That pattern of action at the state level and inaction at the federal level hues closely to what happened ion the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shootings in late 2012. Connecticut toughened its gun control laws while proposals to make changes to national gun laws collapsed in the Senate.
The reality is that the closer you are to the actual mass casualty event, the more it will feel urgent in your own life. The longer it will stay on your local news. The more pressure your community will put on lawmakers to make changes.
No matter how your community reacts to a mass shooting -- and no matter how well spoken your high school kids are -- the national attention span simply moves on. Holding the nation's attention -- and, therefore, making it possible for Congress to feel like they HAVE to do something, is damn near impossible.
The Point: Changes in gun laws after mass shootings is almost certain to come from the state and local level first (if at all). If past is prologue, it simply will not come at the federal level -- no matter how many lives are lost or how urgent the pleas for action may be.
-- Chris | | "We got our ass kicked. It's what the political prognosticators called a good ol' fashioned ass-kicking."
-- Sen John Kennedy (R-La.) to CNN's Manu Raju on the Pennsylvania special election | | | ALL THE ADMINISTRATION'S DEPARTURES | | Believe it or not, it was just yesterday that President Donald Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. And per CNN's latest reporting, Trump's grown increasingly frustrated with at least two others in his Cabinet, according to people familiar with the matter: Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and Housing and Urban Development chief Ben Carson.
CNN's Jan Diehm and Sam Petulla put together an interactive guide (which they will continue to update) of who has left the Trump administration. As they write: "An analysis of the rate of departures by the Brookings Institution found that Trump's staff turnover is higher than the five previous presidents." check out the list of the notable exits and how long they lasted (above). Check out more here. | | | In honor of Beyoncé and Jay-Z going on tour again, here's "Crazy In Love." | | ICYMI: PA'S VERY CLOSE RACE | | Democrat Conor Lamb declared victory in the Pennsylvania House race on Wednesday, after the election night count showed him with a 627-vote lead over Republican Rick Saccone. As CNN's Eric Bradner reported: There were still some votes to be counted, however, including provisional and any military or overseas ballots, which may currently still be in the mail but must be received by the counties by March 20. Republicans have not ruled out the possibility of requesting a recount.
Read more in CNN's story from the race here, and check out Chris' take: There are 119 Republican House members who should be VERY nervous today because "this southwestern Pennsylvania district should have never been competitive -- or even close to competitive." | | HOUSE INTEL RUSSIA UPDATE | | CNN's Jeremy Herb reported Wednesday that "the House Intelligence Committee plans to vote March 22 on a final version of its report on the committee's Russia investigation, Rep. Mike Conaway told CNN.
"Conaway, a Texas Republican leading the House's Russia probe, said the committee will vote on sending the Republican-drafted report to the intelligence community for declassification, and he was open to voting on sending a Democratic document for declassification, too."
Read more here. | | MCDANIEL SWITCHES SENATE RACES | | From CNN's Eric Bradner: Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel on Wednesday announced he is dropping his primary challenge to Sen. Roger Wicker to instead run in a special election for the open seat of retiring GOP Sen. Thad Cochran.
Cochran's seat will become open on April 1, when Cochran is expected to step down. McDaniel unsuccessfully challenged Cochran in a 2014 primary. He was previously preparing to challenge U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker in a Republican primary.
"By announcing early, we are asking Mississippi Republicans to unite around my candidacy and avoid another contentious contest among GOP members that would only improve the Democrats' chances of winning the open seat," McDaniel said in a statement.
Read more in Eric's story here. | | | Click on CNN Politics' Instagram story every Monday through Friday afternoon for more #content from Chris and Brenna. | |  | | H/T Brenna | | | Enjoy the rest of your Wednesday! And tell people you know to subscribe to The Point. | | We'd love to share our other newsletters with you. Follow this link for daily coverage of the world's top stories, savvy market insights, an insider's look into the media and more. Our authors for The Point are Chris Cillizza and Saba Hamedy. Send your tips and thoughts via email to Chris or Saba. Follow on Twitter: Chris and Saba. | | | | | | |
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