OnPolitics Today: Texas, we're so sorry

We’re struggling with all the news coming out of Texas.

There’s no doubt that the deaths of 26 people is a tragedy.

The question, from the OP perspective, is what happens now?

How Congress responds…but fails to act

In recent years, we’ve witnessed mass shooting after mass shooting. The names of the places where tragedy has struck have become a part of our vocabulary. Virginia Tech. Sandy Hook. Charleston. And yet, Congress often finds itself paralyzed on how it should respond.

After the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history left 58 people dead and more than 500 other injured in Las Vegas one month ago, House Speaker Paul Ryan acknowledged that the “smartest, quickest fix” to address rapid fire devices is regulation. Lawmakers from both parties have proposed banning “bump stocks,” which accelerate a semi-automatic rifles rate of fire.

But in the face of the massacre in Sutherland Springs, President Trump says this “isn’t a gun situation.”

“Mental health is the problem here,” he said.

Year of Trump

This week marks one year since Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. And what a year it’s been.

As Paste BN rolls out our coverage, Susan Page explains how Trump has changed Washington more than Washington has changed him.

“The nation’s 45th president has upended yet another norm — in this case, the assumption that moving into the White House will have a sobering impact on a newly elected commander-in-chief,” Page writes. “Facing awesome responsibilities and the sudden responsibility for governing, a new president typically moves to moderate his rhetoric and reach out to old foes, at least for a while.”

One thing Trump has likely figured out by now: Campaign promises are easy to make on Twitter, but hard to make a reality.

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