Ted Cruz to talk gun control with actress Alyssa Milano after Twitter exchange
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and actress Alyssa Milano have scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss gun violence following a heated exchange on Twitter.
"We don't agree on this issue," Milano Tweeted Wednesday. "But if we can talk with mutual respect & humility, maybe all of us come together to effect positive change. I will enter this with an open heart, ears and mind. I hope he does the same."
The Texas senator confirmed the meeting in a tweet.
"I'm looking forward to it! And if all of us can together have more positive, civil discussion & debate on the substantive issues of the day, that would go a long way to helping unite and heal our divided Nation," he wrote Wednesday.
The exchange between Cruz and Milano was spurred amid a debate on guns between the progressive activist and Texas State Rep. Matt Schaefer, who released a string of tweets following the recent shootings western Texas that killed seven people and injured more than 20.
Schaefer declared: "I am NOT going to use the evil acts of a handful of people to diminish the God-given rights of my fellow Texans. Period. None of these so-called gun control solutions will work to stop a person with evil intent."
Milano responded to Schaefer, asking, "Can someone cite which passage of the Bible God states it is a god-given right to own a gun? This guy is unbelievable and clearly owned by the gun lobby."
Milano, known for roles in major television series including "Who's the Boss?" and "Charmed," is an outspoken political activist who's been vocal in the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements and harshly criticized recent "heartbeat" abortion bans.
Cruz defended Schaefer with a Twitter thread of his own, but added that Milano brought up "an excellent (question), worth considering carefully (without) the snark of Twitter."
When asked Wednesday about his upcoming meeting with Milano by gossip site TMZ, Cruz said, "We obviously have very different political views ... but if we can speak positively and respectfully, that'll be a good thing. And so I hope that is what we'll see."
The meeting between Milano and Cruz comes as Congress returns from August recess and prepares to discuss possible gun reform measures.
This is not the first time that Cruz has used social media to engage with political opponents.
In May, Cruz and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez discussed the possibility of working together on legislation that would place a lifetime ban on former members of Congress becoming lobbyists as well as making birth control more accessible.
