Sen. Cruz Graces CNN Republican Debate With Background Check Fib

Sen. Ted Cruz reiterated his false claim that legislation signed by Sen. Marco Rubio would have dramatically expanded President Obama’s authority to bring Syrian refugees into the U.S. without background checks.

FactCheck.org looked into this claim on Dec. 10. It ruled:

The bill, S. 744, would have made it easier for members of certain groups designated by the president to qualify as refugees, but they would still be subject to the required screening process of refugees before they could come to the U.S.

We first heard Cruz make this claim during an interview with Megyn Kelly of Fox News on Nov. 24. Cruz was defending himself against claims made in a TV ad from a super PAC supporting Rubio, a fellow candidate for the GOP nomination for president.

Cruz said that Rubio’s supporters were attacking him because they were worried about Rubio having supported the Senate immigration bill that would have paved the way for Syrian Muslims to come to the U.S.

Read more here.

—Posted by Alexander Reed Kelly.

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