Sen. Ted Cruz has criticized President Obama and the White House for not mentioning how religious discrimination fueled terrorist attacks in Paris and Libya this year. But to make his point, Cruz focuses on certain remarks and ignores others.
Q: Are 65,000 Syrian refugees being relocated to the U.S.?
A: No. The Obama administration says 1,000 to 2,000 Syrians will likely be resettled in the United States by the end of September, and at least 10,000 more in 2016.
Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry routinely boasts that border apprehensions dropped 74 percent in Texas after he sent state law enforcement to the border last year. But Perry takes too much credit.
Q: Is Jade Helm 15 a government attempt to create martial law in the U.S.?
A: No. It’s a joint military training exercise lasting two months this summer.
Q: Is President Obama flying children from Central America to the U.S.?
A: Yes. An administration program allows certain immigrant parents lawfully in the U.S. to bring their children to the country as refugees or parolees.
This “Campaign Watch” video from FactCheck.org’s sister website, FlackCheck.org, reviews several claims we fact-checked from Cruz’s announcement speech.
Q: Is Sen. Ted Cruz, who was born in Canada, eligible to be the U.S. president?
A: Most likely. The legal consensus is that Cruz qualifies because he was born to a U.S. citizen living abroad, making him a U.S. citizen at birth.
Q: Will people living in the U.S. illegally receive “amnesty bonuses” because of President Obama’s executive actions on immigration?
A: There is no automatic payment, but some working immigrants could claim up to four years of earned income tax credits if they meet eligibility requirements.
Mitt Romney said that under President Obama “there are more people in poverty in America than ever before.” That’s true, but the poverty rate — which accounts for population changes — was higher under several former presidents than it is currently.
Q: Can members of Congress retire and receive their full pay after serving one term?
A: No. Only senators are eligible for a pension after one term, but it won’t be their full salary.