Texas GOP Congressmen Not Invited to CNN Town Hall on 'Gun Crisis'

Cody Leach and Mark Jennings | August 6, 2019 | 4:44pm EDT
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CNN's Chris Cuomo.
(YouTube)

This story was updated on Aug. 7, 2019 at 10:05 a.m.

(CNSNews.com) -- In the wake of the horrific mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, in which 31 people were killed, CNN will hold a town hall on Wednesday hosted by Chris Cuomo and headlined "America Under Assault: The Gun Crisis." The CNN announcement was made on Monday, Aug. 5, but, so far, at least four members of Texas's GOP congressional delegation said they have not been invited to participate in the town hall. 

Those four members are Reps. Chip Roy (R), John Carter (R), Randy Weber (R) and Michael McCaul (R).  (Update: On Aug 6, Rep. Dan Crenshaw's (R-Tex.) office relayed that he had not been invited to participate in the CNN town hall.)

On Tuesday, Aug. 6, Media Research President Brent Bozell released a statement, calling for a boycott of the town hall.

"I’m calling on all public officials to boycott CNN's disgraceful town hall in El Paso tomorrow night," he said. 

"It’s nothing more than a partisan political ratings stunt, and it dishonors the victims and their families. We saw how CNN’s town hall following the shooting in Parkland, Florida, last year turned into a left-wing anti-gun political rally. There are no indications this event won’t be more of the same."

"CNN’s shameless move to politicize this tragedy for ratings is disgraceful," said Bozell. "Families are still burying their loved ones. If there is a 'gun crisis,' why aren’t they conducting town halls in Chicago or Baltimore?"

With that statement in mind, CNSNews.com sent the following question to the 23 Texas Republican members of Congress and to Texas's two GOP senators: 

"Media Research Center President Brent Bozell is calling on all public officials to boycott CNN’s El Paso town hall, which is scheduled for Wednesday. Bozell said in a Tweet: 'I’m calling on all public officials to boycott @CNN’s disgraceful town hall in El Paso tomorrow night. It’s nothing more than a partisan political ratings stunt, and it dishonors the victims and their families.' Has CNN invited Rep. _____  to participate in the town hall?  And is Rep. _______  going to boycott the town hall?"

Rep. Roy's press spokesman said, "I have not received an invitation for Congressman Roy to attend the town hall." Rep. Wener's office said that he "has not been invited and will not be attending the CNN town hall in El Paso."

Rep. Carter's office said he had not been invited and he would not attend the town hall because he has knee surgery scheduled. Rep. McCaul's office said it had "not received an invite for Rep. McCaul to participate in CNN’s town hall."

(Getty Images)

This story will be updated as news events merit.

(Disclosure: The Media Research Center is the parent organization of CNSNews.com.

Melanie Arter contributed to this report. 

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