2016 Fiscal FactCheck

 Visit our new and improved FactCheck site at https://FiscalFactCheck.crfb.org

 

The next President will need to confront a number of budgetary challenges and will likely sign into law many federal tax and spending changes. Yet too often, election campaigns are about telling voters what they want to hear rather than what they need to know.

To separate fiction from reality, the Fiscal FactCheck series will monitor statements made during the the 2016 campaign on an ongoing basis. To start, we have identified 16 myths that may come up during the 2016 Presidential campaign.

Click here to see our response to the "16 Budget Myths to Watch Out For in the 2016 Campaign"

As the election season continues, we’ll continue fact checking fiscal statements by the candidates. If you feel we left a particular claim out that should be addressed, contact us and we will do our best to run the claim through our Fiscal FactCheck.

Fiscal FactCheck Claims

Claims About the National Debt

8/6/15 - We Can Continue Borrowing Without Consequences

8/6/15 - With Deficits Falling, Our Debt Problems are Behind Us

8/6/15 - There is No Harm in Waiting to Solve Our Debt Problems

8/6/15 - Deficit Reduction is Code for Austerity, Which Will Harm the Economy

Claims About Taxes

8/6/15 - Tax Cuts Pay for Themselves

8/6/15 - We Can Fix The Debt Solely by Taxing the Top 1%

8/6/15 - We Can Dramatically Lower Tax Rates by Closing a Few Egregious Loop Holes

8/6/15 - Any Tax Increases Will Cripple Economic Growth

9/9/15 - Tax Reform Can Accelerate Economic Growth

Claims About Health Care and Social Security

8/6/15 - Medicare and Social Security Are Earned Benefits and Therefore Should Not be Touched

8/6/15 - Repealing "Obamacare" Will Fix the Debt

8/6/15 - The Health Care Cost Problem is Solved

8/6/15 - Social Security's Shortfall Can be Solved Simply by Raising Taxes or Means-Testing Benefits for the Wealthy

Claims About Easy Fixes

8/6/15 - We Can Solve Our Debt Situation by Cutting Waste, Fraud, Abuse, Earmarks, and/or Foreign Aid

8/6/15 - We Can Grow Our Way Out of the Debt

8/6/15 - A Balanced Amendment is All We Need to Fix the Debt

8/6/15 - We Can Fix the Debt Solely by Cutting Welfare Spending

Fiscal FactCheck Roundup

The First Republican Debate

September 18, 2015 - The Second Republican Debate

The First Democratic Debate

Stay tuned for in-depth fact checking of full speeches and debates this 2016 presidential election cycle.