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A Project of The Annenberg Public Policy Center

Post Misleads on Congressional Salaries, Social Security

Post Misleads on Congressional Salaries, Social Security

Q: Did members of Congress approve a salary increase for themselves and deny an increase in Social Security benefits? 

A: No. Congress is still contemplating whether to allow an automatic pay increase for its members, and it does not determine cost-of-living adjustments for Social Security beneficiaries.

Meme Distorts Facts on Refugees, Social Security

Meme Distorts Facts on Refugees, Social Security

A meme circulating on Facebook gives the false impression that there is no cap on the number of refugees that can be admitted to the U.S., and that Social Security beneficiaries did not receive a cost-of-living increase this year.

FactChecking Sanders’ CNN Town Hall

FactChecking Sanders’ CNN Town Hall

In a televised town hall, newly announced presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders repeated several misleading claims that we have written about in the past.

Examining Shutdown Claims from Democrats

Examining Shutdown Claims from Democrats

The weekslong partial government shutdown has led to around 800,000 federal employees not working or working without pay. It also has led to some false or questionable claims from Democrats about the shutdown’s impact on a host of federal services.

Social Security Falsehood Circulates Again

Social Security Falsehood Circulates Again

Social media posts wrongly claim Democrats voted against the Social Security cost-of-living increase for 2019. Adjustments to Social Security benefits are not decided by lawmakers.

Video: Trump Campaigning in Kentucky

Video: Trump Campaigning in Kentucky

CNN’s “State of the Union” and FactCheck.org this week review three claims that President Donald Trump made at a campaign rally in Kentucky.

FactChecking McCarthy’s Statistics

FactChecking McCarthy’s Statistics

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy got some of his facts wrong about mandatory spending and the labor participation rate during a recent appearance on Fox Business.

Cruz on Social Security as a ‘Ponzi Scheme’

Cruz on Social Security as a ‘Ponzi Scheme’

In a televised debate on taxes, Sen. Ted Cruz denied that he ever called Social Security a “Ponzi scheme.” But in a 2011 interview, Cruz gave the definition of a “Ponzi scheme” and said, “That is exactly how Social Security operates.”

NRA Exec’s False Gun Claim

NRA Exec’s False Gun Claim

The head of the National Rifle Association’s political and lobbying arm incorrectly described a repealed Social Security Administration reporting requirement for gun background checks as targeting senior citizens “who asked for help handling their finances.”

Trump Nixed Gun-Control Rule

Trump Nixed Gun-Control Rule

Q: Did President Donald Trump repeal a rule that aims to block some people with mental disorders from buying guns?
A: Yes. The Social Security Administration is no longer required to submit the names of certain mentally disabled beneficiaries to a federal agency that conducts gun background checks.