Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) responded to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) offering “thoughts and prayers” to the Santa Fe High School shooting victims while taking money from the NRA.
Cruz tweeted:
Heidi and I are keeping all the students and faculty at Santa Fe High School in our prayers this morning, along with all first responders on the scene. Please be safe and heed warnings from local officials. https://t.co/5Un3Y4IA86
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) May 18, 2018
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Lieu responded:
There is nothing wrong about praying for victims & first responders at the school shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas. We should pray for them.
But there is something very wrong if that is all you do.
Especially when you take massive sums of money from the @NRA. https://t.co/kICEOhsAPY
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) May 18, 2018
Rep. Lieu was right. There is nothing wrong with offering thoughts and prayers. The problem is that is all Republicans offer. When Sen. Cruz offers thoughts and prayers and then votes against protecting students with common sense gun legislation, he is supporting more harm coming to students while pretending to care. If Republicans aren’t going to do more, their thoughts and prayers are a cover for their willingness to do nothing.
Thoughts and prayers are fine, but they aren’t policy. Thoughts and prayers don’t keep guns out of the hands of shooters. Thoughts and prayers don’t protect kids when the bullets start flying. America needs Senators who will vote to protect kids in schools. Ted Cruz isn’t that Senator. The only way that the violence is going to be stopped is if Senators like Ted Cruz either put the lives of children ahead of the NRA or get voted out of office.
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Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
