Latest Half-True Fact-checks in Federal Budget Clear Any Rating True Mostly True Half True Mostly False False Pants on Fire Full Flop Half Flip No Flip Any Speaker Any Date Range Last 3 Months Last 6 Months Last 12 Months 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Any Category Jim Jordan stated on January 20, 2011 in a speech to the Heritage Foundation: "Our debt to GDP ratios, our deficit to GDP ratios are quickly approaching the countries we have been reading about for the last year and a half. We are not far behind Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain and all these countries we have been reading about." Paul Ryan stated on January 25, 2011 in the GOP response to the State of the Union address: "Since taking office, President Obama has signed into law spending increases of nearly 25 percent for domestic government agencies, an 84 percent increase when you include the failed stimulus." Michele Bachmann stated on January 25, 2011 in a rebuttal to the State of the Union address: "While the government grew, we lost more than 2 million jobs." Michele Bachmann stated on January 25, 2011 in a rebuttal to the State of the Union address: The federal government "may put 16,500 IRS agents in charge of policing President Obama's health care bill." Barack Obama stated on January 25, 2011 in the State of the Union address: "We are living with a legacy of deficit-spending that began almost a decade ago." John Cornyn stated on December 1, 2010 in an op-ed: "All but one of the 50 states already have some form of a balanced budget amendment in their state constitutions." Dave Obey stated on November 18, 2010 in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A ban on earmarks greatly weakens the authority Congress has over spending, to the benefit of the executive branch. Reince Priebus stated on November 16, 2010 in a Twitter post: Says President Obama has grown the federal government payroll by 141,000 workers and wants to add 125,000 more. Paul Krugman stated on November 14, 2010 in "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": A proposal to reduce the deficit "involved large tax cuts for the top bracket." John Kasich stated on October 14, 2010 in a campaign video: "(John) Kasich was the architect who balanced the budget, cut spending, created a surplus, igniting record job creation." Barack Obama stated on October 27, 2010 in an interview on Comedy Central's "Daily Show with Jon Stewart": Stabilizing the recent financial crisis "will cost less than 1 percent of GDP," which is less than the 2.5 percent to fix the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s. Barack Obama stated on October 27, 2010 in an appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show": The health care bill "cuts the deficit by over $1 trillion dollars." Jim Marshall stated on October 1, 2010 in campaign video: Said he "opposed every budget Republican and Democrat." Chuck Donovan stated on September 17, 2010 in a blog on his campaign website: U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson "has never proposed, nor voted in favor of, a substantial cut in federal spending" and has voted for "many substantial increases in federal spending." David Axelrod stated on September 26, 2010 in an interview on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour: The GOP's "Pledge to America" includes "a 20 percent cut ... for education. ... Eight million kids would have their college aid slashed under this budget." Americans for Job Security stated on September 23, 2010 in a campaign ad: Says Zack Space voted for budgets and debt, energy taxes and the stimulus, and "we still lost more than 2.5 million jobs." Bill Clinton stated on September 19, 2010 in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press": "We paid down the debt for four years -- paid down $600 billion on the national debt." Lee Fisher stated on September 7, 2010 in a campaign commercial: "On (Rob Portman's) watch as Bush's trade czar, our deficit with China exploded" and "as Bush's budget chief, Portman oversaw a spending spree that doubled the deficit." AFSCME stated on August 9, 2010 in a television election ad: "Jim Renacci supports a national sales tax of 23 percent." Tim Kaine stated on August 15, 2010 in a segment of CBS' ''Face The Nation.'': Republicans tried to block the deficit commission. Steve LaTourette stated on July 6, 2010 in a speech: "Since the president became the president, we have lost 3.3 million jobs in the private sector. But you know who's done OK and who's not complaining today? The public sector. We've gained 590,000 public sector jobs." Mike Keown stated on August 12, 2010 in his campaign Web site: "It is wrong for the average federal worker today to make more than $100,000 while the average private-sector worker makes less than $70,000." Barney Frank stated on July 7, 2010 in MSNBC's Morning Joe: The United States accounted for 26 percent of worldwide military spending during the Cold War, but now accounts for 41 percent. James Langevin stated on July 12, 2010 in an online forum on ProJo.com: "The Congressional Budget Office estimates that for every $1 we spend on unemployment benefits, $1.90 is put into our economy." Edward Markey stated on June 15, 2010 in a statement at a hearing of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee: "Right now every single one of the (oil) companies here today and dozens of others are drilling for free in the Gulf of Mexico on leases that will cost American taxpayers more than $50 billion in lost royalties." Steny Hoyer stated on June 13, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week'': "The Republicans didn't have a budget in '02, '04, '06." George LeMieux stated on June 4, 2010 in a meeting with the St. Petersburg Times editorial board.: "There's more than 100,000 people working at the Department of Agriculture. That's 1 employee for every 30 farmers." Ann Kirkpatrick stated on April 28, 2010 in a speech on the House floor: Members of Congress "have not reduced their salaries ... since the Great Depression," meaning they've gone "eight decades without a pay cut." Bill Clinton stated on April 18, 2010 in an interview on ABC's This Week: Passage of Clinton budget bill in 1993 "led to an enormous flowering of the economy in America." Steve Cohen stated on April 15, 2010 in a story about taxes from Associated Press: "The fact is, in the past year we have had more tax cuts than almost any time in our nation's history."
Clear Any Rating True Mostly True Half True Mostly False False Pants on Fire Full Flop Half Flip No Flip Any Speaker Any Date Range Last 3 Months Last 6 Months Last 12 Months 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Any Category
Jim Jordan stated on January 20, 2011 in a speech to the Heritage Foundation: "Our debt to GDP ratios, our deficit to GDP ratios are quickly approaching the countries we have been reading about for the last year and a half. We are not far behind Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain and all these countries we have been reading about." Paul Ryan stated on January 25, 2011 in the GOP response to the State of the Union address: "Since taking office, President Obama has signed into law spending increases of nearly 25 percent for domestic government agencies, an 84 percent increase when you include the failed stimulus." Michele Bachmann stated on January 25, 2011 in a rebuttal to the State of the Union address: "While the government grew, we lost more than 2 million jobs." Michele Bachmann stated on January 25, 2011 in a rebuttal to the State of the Union address: The federal government "may put 16,500 IRS agents in charge of policing President Obama's health care bill." Barack Obama stated on January 25, 2011 in the State of the Union address: "We are living with a legacy of deficit-spending that began almost a decade ago." John Cornyn stated on December 1, 2010 in an op-ed: "All but one of the 50 states already have some form of a balanced budget amendment in their state constitutions." Dave Obey stated on November 18, 2010 in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A ban on earmarks greatly weakens the authority Congress has over spending, to the benefit of the executive branch. Reince Priebus stated on November 16, 2010 in a Twitter post: Says President Obama has grown the federal government payroll by 141,000 workers and wants to add 125,000 more. Paul Krugman stated on November 14, 2010 in "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": A proposal to reduce the deficit "involved large tax cuts for the top bracket." John Kasich stated on October 14, 2010 in a campaign video: "(John) Kasich was the architect who balanced the budget, cut spending, created a surplus, igniting record job creation." Barack Obama stated on October 27, 2010 in an interview on Comedy Central's "Daily Show with Jon Stewart": Stabilizing the recent financial crisis "will cost less than 1 percent of GDP," which is less than the 2.5 percent to fix the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s. Barack Obama stated on October 27, 2010 in an appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show": The health care bill "cuts the deficit by over $1 trillion dollars." Jim Marshall stated on October 1, 2010 in campaign video: Said he "opposed every budget Republican and Democrat." Chuck Donovan stated on September 17, 2010 in a blog on his campaign website: U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson "has never proposed, nor voted in favor of, a substantial cut in federal spending" and has voted for "many substantial increases in federal spending." David Axelrod stated on September 26, 2010 in an interview on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour: The GOP's "Pledge to America" includes "a 20 percent cut ... for education. ... Eight million kids would have their college aid slashed under this budget." Americans for Job Security stated on September 23, 2010 in a campaign ad: Says Zack Space voted for budgets and debt, energy taxes and the stimulus, and "we still lost more than 2.5 million jobs." Bill Clinton stated on September 19, 2010 in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press": "We paid down the debt for four years -- paid down $600 billion on the national debt." Lee Fisher stated on September 7, 2010 in a campaign commercial: "On (Rob Portman's) watch as Bush's trade czar, our deficit with China exploded" and "as Bush's budget chief, Portman oversaw a spending spree that doubled the deficit." AFSCME stated on August 9, 2010 in a television election ad: "Jim Renacci supports a national sales tax of 23 percent." Tim Kaine stated on August 15, 2010 in a segment of CBS' ''Face The Nation.'': Republicans tried to block the deficit commission. Steve LaTourette stated on July 6, 2010 in a speech: "Since the president became the president, we have lost 3.3 million jobs in the private sector. But you know who's done OK and who's not complaining today? The public sector. We've gained 590,000 public sector jobs." Mike Keown stated on August 12, 2010 in his campaign Web site: "It is wrong for the average federal worker today to make more than $100,000 while the average private-sector worker makes less than $70,000." Barney Frank stated on July 7, 2010 in MSNBC's Morning Joe: The United States accounted for 26 percent of worldwide military spending during the Cold War, but now accounts for 41 percent. James Langevin stated on July 12, 2010 in an online forum on ProJo.com: "The Congressional Budget Office estimates that for every $1 we spend on unemployment benefits, $1.90 is put into our economy." Edward Markey stated on June 15, 2010 in a statement at a hearing of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee: "Right now every single one of the (oil) companies here today and dozens of others are drilling for free in the Gulf of Mexico on leases that will cost American taxpayers more than $50 billion in lost royalties." Steny Hoyer stated on June 13, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week'': "The Republicans didn't have a budget in '02, '04, '06." George LeMieux stated on June 4, 2010 in a meeting with the St. Petersburg Times editorial board.: "There's more than 100,000 people working at the Department of Agriculture. That's 1 employee for every 30 farmers." Ann Kirkpatrick stated on April 28, 2010 in a speech on the House floor: Members of Congress "have not reduced their salaries ... since the Great Depression," meaning they've gone "eight decades without a pay cut." Bill Clinton stated on April 18, 2010 in an interview on ABC's This Week: Passage of Clinton budget bill in 1993 "led to an enormous flowering of the economy in America." Steve Cohen stated on April 15, 2010 in a story about taxes from Associated Press: "The fact is, in the past year we have had more tax cuts than almost any time in our nation's history."
Jim Jordan stated on January 20, 2011 in a speech to the Heritage Foundation: "Our debt to GDP ratios, our deficit to GDP ratios are quickly approaching the countries we have been reading about for the last year and a half. We are not far behind Ireland, Greece, Portugal and Spain and all these countries we have been reading about."
Paul Ryan stated on January 25, 2011 in the GOP response to the State of the Union address: "Since taking office, President Obama has signed into law spending increases of nearly 25 percent for domestic government agencies, an 84 percent increase when you include the failed stimulus."
Michele Bachmann stated on January 25, 2011 in a rebuttal to the State of the Union address: "While the government grew, we lost more than 2 million jobs."
Michele Bachmann stated on January 25, 2011 in a rebuttal to the State of the Union address: The federal government "may put 16,500 IRS agents in charge of policing President Obama's health care bill."
Barack Obama stated on January 25, 2011 in the State of the Union address: "We are living with a legacy of deficit-spending that began almost a decade ago."
John Cornyn stated on December 1, 2010 in an op-ed: "All but one of the 50 states already have some form of a balanced budget amendment in their state constitutions."
Dave Obey stated on November 18, 2010 in a statement to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A ban on earmarks greatly weakens the authority Congress has over spending, to the benefit of the executive branch.
Reince Priebus stated on November 16, 2010 in a Twitter post: Says President Obama has grown the federal government payroll by 141,000 workers and wants to add 125,000 more.
Paul Krugman stated on November 14, 2010 in "This Week with Christiane Amanpour": A proposal to reduce the deficit "involved large tax cuts for the top bracket."
John Kasich stated on October 14, 2010 in a campaign video: "(John) Kasich was the architect who balanced the budget, cut spending, created a surplus, igniting record job creation."
Barack Obama stated on October 27, 2010 in an interview on Comedy Central's "Daily Show with Jon Stewart": Stabilizing the recent financial crisis "will cost less than 1 percent of GDP," which is less than the 2.5 percent to fix the savings and loan crisis of the 1980s.
Barack Obama stated on October 27, 2010 in an appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show": The health care bill "cuts the deficit by over $1 trillion dollars."
Jim Marshall stated on October 1, 2010 in campaign video: Said he "opposed every budget Republican and Democrat."
Chuck Donovan stated on September 17, 2010 in a blog on his campaign website: U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson "has never proposed, nor voted in favor of, a substantial cut in federal spending" and has voted for "many substantial increases in federal spending."
David Axelrod stated on September 26, 2010 in an interview on ABC's This Week with Christiane Amanpour: The GOP's "Pledge to America" includes "a 20 percent cut ... for education. ... Eight million kids would have their college aid slashed under this budget."
Americans for Job Security stated on September 23, 2010 in a campaign ad: Says Zack Space voted for budgets and debt, energy taxes and the stimulus, and "we still lost more than 2.5 million jobs."
Bill Clinton stated on September 19, 2010 in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press": "We paid down the debt for four years -- paid down $600 billion on the national debt."
Lee Fisher stated on September 7, 2010 in a campaign commercial: "On (Rob Portman's) watch as Bush's trade czar, our deficit with China exploded" and "as Bush's budget chief, Portman oversaw a spending spree that doubled the deficit."
AFSCME stated on August 9, 2010 in a television election ad: "Jim Renacci supports a national sales tax of 23 percent."
Tim Kaine stated on August 15, 2010 in a segment of CBS' ''Face The Nation.'': Republicans tried to block the deficit commission.
Steve LaTourette stated on July 6, 2010 in a speech: "Since the president became the president, we have lost 3.3 million jobs in the private sector. But you know who's done OK and who's not complaining today? The public sector. We've gained 590,000 public sector jobs."
Mike Keown stated on August 12, 2010 in his campaign Web site: "It is wrong for the average federal worker today to make more than $100,000 while the average private-sector worker makes less than $70,000."
Barney Frank stated on July 7, 2010 in MSNBC's Morning Joe: The United States accounted for 26 percent of worldwide military spending during the Cold War, but now accounts for 41 percent.
James Langevin stated on July 12, 2010 in an online forum on ProJo.com: "The Congressional Budget Office estimates that for every $1 we spend on unemployment benefits, $1.90 is put into our economy."
Edward Markey stated on June 15, 2010 in a statement at a hearing of a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee: "Right now every single one of the (oil) companies here today and dozens of others are drilling for free in the Gulf of Mexico on leases that will cost American taxpayers more than $50 billion in lost royalties."
Steny Hoyer stated on June 13, 2010 in an interview on ABC's "This Week'': "The Republicans didn't have a budget in '02, '04, '06."
George LeMieux stated on June 4, 2010 in a meeting with the St. Petersburg Times editorial board.: "There's more than 100,000 people working at the Department of Agriculture. That's 1 employee for every 30 farmers."
Ann Kirkpatrick stated on April 28, 2010 in a speech on the House floor: Members of Congress "have not reduced their salaries ... since the Great Depression," meaning they've gone "eight decades without a pay cut."
Bill Clinton stated on April 18, 2010 in an interview on ABC's This Week: Passage of Clinton budget bill in 1993 "led to an enormous flowering of the economy in America."
Steve Cohen stated on April 15, 2010 in a story about taxes from Associated Press: "The fact is, in the past year we have had more tax cuts than almost any time in our nation's history."
