Attractive, educated, relatable, progressive. These are the words some use to describe Beto O'Rourke, a current House member and a Democrat nominee for the Senate seeking to unseat conservative Ted Cruz. His campaign has struck national appeal with articles in Town & Country, Time, and Rolling Stone, as they herald him as the future of the Democrat Party. In Texas, his signs dot urban landscapes. His bumper stickers speckle the streets. His unsolicited texts fill phones. But who is this guy?

Robert Francis O'Rourke, a graduate of Columbia University, is a native of El Paso, a small west Texas border town. Though a white American, Robert O'Rourke goes by a Hispanic nickname, “Beto,” short for “Roberto” in Spanish. From his website, Beto seems like a family guy trying to make a difference for the regular people. However, a deeper look reveals the roots behind his rhetoric — indeed, the rhetoric of the Democrat Party.

Beto Opposes Commonsense Border Enforcement:

Beto supports amnesty and is “open” to the abolition of ICE. He states that he would like to “Reform our immigration laws to legalize the status of millions of immigrants” (i.e., amnesty) and “end the militarization of our immigration enforcement system” (i.e., possibly abolish ICE). Such rhetoric deceptively refers to both illegal and legal immigration as one in the same. Moreover, amnesty and the abolition (or “demilitarization”) of ICE leaves our country vulnerable to criminal entry and exploitation by drug and human traffickers.

Beto voted against Kate’s Law, named for Kate Steinle, who was fatally shot while walking with her dad in San Francisco. Her killer was a five-time deported illegal immigrant who, at the time, was on probation in Texas for seven felonies, including unauthorized reentry, narcotic manufacturing, and heroin possession. Kate’s Law proposed increased penalties for illegal immigrants with multiple reentries.

Beto also supports sanctuary cities, which act as safe harbors for criminals. He voted against the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act, which prohibits federal funding for cities with so-called “sanctuary city” policies. The recent murder of Mollie Tibbetts by an illegal immigrant underscores the need for commonsense border enforcement to keep our country and our citizens safe.

Beto Supports Drug Traffickers, Not Public Safety

Beto wants to “end the U.S. government’s war on drugs” and “end the federal prohibition of marijuana,” which means legalizing pot and shutting down the prosecution of marijuana drug possessors and traffickers. The legalization of pot has had devastating effects, including the marked increase in car accident fatalities.

It is unclear whether Beto supports legalizing all drugs, but he stands painfully silent on the opioid crisis that claims 115 American lives every day due to overdose. Beto also turns a blind eye to the true separation of families: orphans and foster children created from the opioid crisis. A recent study correlates the rise in opioid-related deaths of adults to increased entry of children into foster care.

Fentanyl, an extremely powerful opioid with a lethal dose of just 2 mg, has been pouring through the southern border. CBS News reports: “The amount of fentanyl U.S. customs officials seized illegally entering the United States has more than doubled since 2016 to 1,370 pounds, with the vast majority coming in through points of entry on the southern U.S. border.” To give perspective on the drug’s potency, in May authorities in Nebraska seized a record-breaking 118 pounds of fentanyl. This amount could have killed at least 26 million people. Beto’s opposition to commonsense border enforcement has tragic consequences for those affected by opioids.

Beto Supports the Abortion Industry, Not Women

Beto has a 100% rating by both NARAL Pro-Choice America and Planned Parenthood and a NARAL endorsement.

Beto supports taxpayer funding of Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading abortion provider (about 881 babies per day in 2016) and the subject of a House Oversight investigation for the illegal sale of baby parts. Beto supports the public financial support of this organization and voted against the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015.

Beto voted against the Born Alive Abortion Survivor’s Protection Act, which guarantees babies who survive an abortion be given adequate medical care. It also specifies that intentionally leaving babies to die could result in prosecution.

Beto voted against the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, which acknowledges the scientific fact that babies can feel pain and protects them from being killed after 20 weeks (five months). The 20-week restriction is supported by six in 10 Americans.

Beto Opposes Economic Flourishing

Beto opposed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which has resulted in millions of Americans receiving bonuses, pay hikes, and 401(k) distributions. It has also strengthened the jobs market and created a stable situation for companies to begin their own family leave policies — not mandated or subsidized by the federal government.

Instead of economic freedom, Beto wants to “promote regulations that protect consumers, promote competition and grow the economy.” Yet this clever rhetoric disguises Beto’s vision of a government that stifles the economy through control, regulation, and subsidization. Additionally, while he speaks of increasing regulations to protect consumers, this claim actually appears to be disingenuous. For in “demilitarizing” ICE, Beto likely relinquishes the inspection and regulation of goods coming through our southern border. ICE checks goods (especially foods) to verify that they do not pose a threat to the American people. Beto’s narrow economic vision overregulates American companies, while failing to protect American consumers from the real threats of contaminated foods and goods crossing the border.

Beto Opposes School Choice

On education, Beto says, “No public tax dollars should be given to private schools.” Translation: Beto opposes school choice. He wants to continue forcing parents to send their kids to government schools that don’t meet their needs.

Beto Opposes Commonsense Privacy Laws

Beto wants to “strike down toxic legislation like Senate Bill 6 and any regulation that discriminates against a student based on their sexual orientation of gender identity.” While Beto focuses on discrimination, he ignores how bathroom privacy laws like The Texas Privacy Act (SB 6) protect vulnerable children from opportunistic predators. Beto’s opposition to commonsense privacy laws endangers young girls and boys by giving predators total access to bathrooms, showers, and locker rooms.

Beto Supports Environmental Weaponization

Beto wants to rejoin the Paris climate accords — a deal that requires the U.S. to cut emissions (which have already been drastically reduced) while letting India and China (the world’s largest polluters) do nothing. While having the political appearance of “being green,” the climate accords stifle business, costs jobs, and require nothing from the world’s largest polluters.

He also believes in “empowering the EPA to exercise oversight of those harming the environment, particularly drilling, fracking, and pipeline construction.” Beto wants to weaponize the EPA to shut down the oil industry, taking millions of American jobs with it. Similarly, Obama used the EPA to punish business while failing to address real issues like air quality, water quality, and toxic waste cleanup.

Moreover, he bases his actions on the false assumption that increased energy use pollutes the environment. Yet, according to Forbes magazine, air pollution in the U.S. has declined 72% since 1970, in spite of a 47% total increase in energy use.

Beto also opposes accountability and transparency of the EPA. He voted against the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act, which prohibits members of the EPA Science Advisory Board from applying for EPA grants. It also prohibits the appointment of a lobbyist to the advisory board.

Beto Opposes Gun Rights

Beto also wants to limit guns. On his website he wants to close guns shows, require more background checks, and reduce the sale of high-capacity magazines. This logic fails to recognize reality: Criminals get guns illegally — they don’t do background checks. Further, American gun owners have stopped many crimes, such as the man who stopped the Sutherland Springs killer. Americans (and women especially) should have the right to defend themselves against predators and home intruders.

Beto Opposes American Security

Beto voted against the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which allows legal action against countries sponsoring terrorism.

Beto voted against the Make America Secure Act, which provides funding to our military.

Beto vocally supported Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal, which gave over $150 billion to Iran, effectively aiding its terrorism and nuclear weapons capabilities.

Beto Supports Failed Policy: ObamaCare

Beto supports universal (or single-payer) health care and wants to “improve the Affordable Care Act.” He has stated that he would support Bernie Sanders’ health care plan. He fails to recognize that ObamaCare has needlessly drained tax dollars, increased premiums, and decreased coverage. Additionally, the socialist model of universal health care causes long lines, crummy service, and two-year wait lists for surgery. The insurance companies and politicians win while the patient loses.

Beto Does Not Represent American Values

Beto O'Rourke’s national publicity lauds him as a new, young Democrat leader. However, a deeper look reveals the true identity of both Beto and the Democrat Party as a whole.

It’s time to separate the rhetoric from the reality. It’s time to confront the real Beto, not the airbrushed version portrayed in magazines and interviews. His voting record reveals him as a pro-pot, pro-abortion, anti-privacy, anti-gun, anti-school choice politician who opposes economic flourishing, commonsense border enforcement, wants to weaponize the EPA against businesses, and seeks to compromise the American military and national security. Beto represents the radical Left, not Texas and not America.