Reference no: EM133301709
"Texas: O'Rourke Not 'Against Background Checks'".
Texans Are, a super PAC that supports Sen. Ted Cruz, is running an ad that makes the false claim that Rep. Beto O'Rourke is against background checks for refugees from terrorist hotbeds." The ad starts with scenes of Central Americans walking in the street, leaving their countries to seek asylum from Mexico and the United States. The caravan is coming," the announcer says. "Some say criminals among them."
To support its claim about O'Rourke opposing background checks for refugees, the TV ad cites O'Rourke's vote in 2015 against H.R. 4038, the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act, or the American SAFE Act. That bill, which passed the House but failed in the Senate, would have added additional screening for refugees coming from Iraq and Syria, and required the FBI to investigate applicants in addition to the Department of Homeland Security.
O'Rourke argued that the process at the time was already thorough. In a post on the blogging platform Medium, O'Rourke explained his "no" vote, in part, by saying: "The process proposed in today's bill would create unnecessary, duplicative work and processes for U.S. security agencies. This would significantly delay the current rigorous process by up to 2 years, according to the Administration. In effect, it would close the door on refugees during the single greatest humanitarian crisis of our time." In 2015, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services said refugees already receive "the highest degree of security screening and background checks for any category of traveler to the United States."
The process includes fingerprinting and checking records against databases maintained by the National Counterterrorism Center, the Department of Defense, the FBI and Interpol. Each refugee applicant is also interviewed personally by specially trained USCIS officers. And those from Syria are subjected to special measures including iris scans and an enhanced review by Homeland Security.
Question 1. According to FactCheck.org, how is the ad inaccurate or misleading?
Question 2. What sources does Factcheck.org cite in its report?
Question 3. How confident are you that FactCheck.org has arrived at the correct answer? Give reasons for your answer.
Question 4. Before reading Factcheck.org's assessment, would you have deemed the ad persuasive? Why or why not?