Sen. Cruz: ‘This Was a Productive Conversation, 90 Percent of the Conversation Consisted of Listening to Solutions Provided by Members of Our Texas Communities’

HOUSTON, Texas – On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) joined Gov. Greg Abbott, local law enforcement officials, and the victims and survivors of the Santa Fe High School, Alpine High School, and the Sutherland Springs church shootings in a roundtable discussion on the topic of school safety.

Several news outlets covered his remarks following the roundtable discussion. Selected news coverage is below:

Houston Chronicle: Abbott Hears from Shooting Victims
“Several state leaders took part Thursday, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, House Speaker Joe Straus, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, and Attorney General Ken Paxton. […] Cruz said he took away from the meeting a call to increase police presence on campus, ensure doors are impenetrable and have armed teachers in schools, citing one father who expressed frustration that the teachers at Santa Fe High School could have prevented the shooting. ‘We heard from one dad today who was angry and said, ‘Why didn’t they allow the teachers to be armed to protect our students?’ That’s another solution we’re hearing from those on the ground,’ he said. Cruz added that he wants a system to better identify potential shooters before they become threats and look for ways to punish felons and fugitives who illegally try to buy guns.” 

KTBC: (VIDEO) Sen. Cruz Attends Roundtable Discussion on School Safety
“Lawmakers gathered to listen at a roundtable discussion on the topic of school safety and asked what they can do to help students and faculty feel more protected in Texas schools. Senator Ted Cruz was one of the many that listened in and answered questions about what's next for these communities. ‘I think that this was a very productive part of the conversation. Ninety percent of the conversation consisted of listening. The number one most frequent solution that we heard today, and what I heard last Friday in Santa Fe, is the need for additional armed police officers on school campuses. The police officers who were there at Santa Fe were heroic and they risked their lives -- if they were not there, many people would have been murdered that morning.’”

KVUE: (VIDEO) Santa Fe Victims Attend Roundtable Discussion
“Victims of the Santa Fe High School shooting gathered in Austin to attend a roundtable discussion with Governor Abbott and Senator Cruz to talk about school safety. There they offered solutions on ways to make schools safer, including increasing armed officers on school campuses. This is a concept Senator Ted Cruz says he continues to hear, ‘We saw incredible heroism, but had there been additional officers in place perhaps the shooter could have been stopped before he had taken anyone’s lives.’”

KEYE: (VIDEO) Sen. Cruz at Roundtable Discussion on School Safety
“Senator Ted Cruz says he plans to reintroduce a bill to increase resources available to prosecute violators of gun laws and prosecute those who fail criminal background checks. But that wasn’t his only solution, ‘We need more armed police officers in the schools, I think that is critical.’”

KSAT: (VIDEO) Shooting Survivors, Governor and Sen. Cruz Meet for Round Table on School Safety
“Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Abbott listened at a round table discussion with Santa Fe high school students on school safety suggestions. There students offered suggestions to lawmakers on ways to ensure school safety for Texas students.” 

Fox 4: Third Day of Governor Abbott's Roundtable Discussion Centers Around School Safety
“On day 3 of the roundtable discussion with the governor we got to hear from many people. That includes survivors of last week's shooting at Santa Fe High, the church shooting last year in Sutherland Springs, and the 2016 shooting at Alpine High School. Lawmakers listening in and asking what they can do to help them feel more protected in our schools in Texas. ‘This was a very productive part of the conversation. 90 percent of the conversation consisted of listening.’ Senator Ted Cruz was one of many lawmakers in attendance.”

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