In a social media post, Republican Sen. Ron Johnson criticized Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, for wrongly saying that Affordable Care Act premiums would at least double for “over 20 million Americans” if enhanced subsidies expire. They would more than double on average, not for all of those 20 million people. Johnson glossed over the higher out-of-pocket premiums, saying that the “subsidies will likely increase, not decrease.”
Democrats and Republicans have sparred over Democratic demands to address health care issues in a government funding bill, with the standoff leading to the first government shutdown since 2019. We’ll provide the facts on two talking points each side is using to blame the other for the shutdown.
Contrary to President Donald Trump’s claim that no one will die as a result of the Republican budget bill, an analysis from the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University estimated that the legislation’s changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act will result in at least 42,500 preventable deaths each year. At the same time, independent Sen. Bernie Sanders has slightly overstated the estimate.
Abrupt changes in staffing and some procedures at the Social Security Administration, coupled with false and misleading claims about widespread fraud, have prompted heated criticism from Democrats, with some statements leaving the wrong impression that benefits are being cut. Experts share a concern that disorderly actions by the Trump administration could cause administrative errors and disruptions, but there has been no proposed change to benefits mandated by law.
In his second day of confirmation hearings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, refused to say that vaccines do not cause autism — despite a large body of evidence showing there is no link. He also pointed to a flawed paper to suggest that there is credible evidence to claim vaccines cause the disorder.
A few speakers put some spin on the facts about Trump’s plans for another term.
With the recent failure of two midsize banks, some Democrats have blamed deregulation championed by then-President Donald Trump in 2018. While the law did reduce oversight of small and midsize banks, experts are divided over whether deregulation in 2018 ultimately caused Signature and Silicon Valley Bank to collapse.
Explaining why he is likely to vote against an $858 billion defense spending bill, Sen. Bernie Sanders wrongly said there are “85 million Americans who have no health insurance.”
This video reviews some of the statements that we fact-checked during the Democratic National Convention, which ended Aug. 20 with former Vice President Joe Biden accepting his party’s nomination for president.
A quiet first night for fact-checkers. Only a few quibbles, including on the minimum wage, mail-in voting and Social Security payments.