Final answer:
Senator Joseph McCarthy's claims heightened debates over the methods to root out possible communists within the United States, leading to the era known as McCarthyism. Therefore, the correct option is A.
Step-by-step explanation:
The claims made by Senator Joseph McCarthy in his speech heightened debates over policies and methods to root out possible communists within the United States. McCarthy's strategy was characterized by baseless allegations and fear-mongering, which contributed to the era of McCarthyism—a term that refers to the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence.
His accusations focused primarily on the State Department and other government agencies, bringing national attention to the widespread fear of communism and leading to extensive investigations and trials designed to identify and remove communists from public office and other areas of American society.