Erica Lafferty, the daughter of slain Sandy Hook Elementary School principal Dawn Hochsprung has been making headlines this week after demanding answers from the 14 Republican senators who are threatening to filibuster Thursday’s vote to begin debate on gun legislation.
She tweeted to Sen. Rand Paul a photo of her mother and sister on her sibling’s wedding day, “I don’t get one of these at my wedding in July.” To Sen. Marco Rubio she wrote, “I’ll never see my mom again because she was gunned down in Sandy Hook. I don’t deserve to be heard?”
The 27 year old appeared on Wednesday’s Hardball and said after two days, just two of the GOPers have gotten back to her--one of them being Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. She recounted their phone conversation.
Lafferty said she opened by asking the Tea Party favorite--who has called the criticism over the filibuster “silly” --why he’s choosing not to do his job. “The purpose of senators is to debate and then to vote…I asked him straight up, 'What would have happened if my mom chose not to do her job on December 14?'” she recounted to host Chris Matthews.
She said Cruz responded by focusing the issue on Connecticut, arguing her state should have “stricter laws for involuntary institutionalization."
The lawmaker’s spokeswoman, Catherine Frazier, confirmed Lafferty and Cruz spoke but would not provide details about the conversation to NBC News. Frazier described the talk as “respectful.”
Matthews asked Lafferty if she thought anything she said could have swayed the staunch social conservative.
“No, I don’t,” she said. During her talk with Cruz, she said, "It was almost like there was a delay--'is she done talking yet'? Can I say my next piece?'"
In the meantime, Lafferty has another message for the 12 Republicans who have yet to reply to her. “Call me back,” she said.
Watch Lafferty recount her conversation with Cruz at the video above.