The Talk Show American

THE TALK SHOW AMERICAN: 04/10/2011 - 04/17/2011

Friday, April 15, 2011

Fact Check: Obama's Budget Speech Misrepresented GOP Budget Plan

In an article posted today on FactCheck.Org the organization stated that Obama misrepresented the Republican's budget plan and exaggerated its impact on Americans during his April 13 speech.

Here are the Facts as they presented them:

■ Obama claimed the Republicans’ “Path to Prosperity” plan would cause “up to 50 million Americans … to lose their health insurance.” But that worst-case figure is based in part on speculation and assumptions.
■ He said the GOP plan would replace Medicare with “a voucher program that leaves seniors at the mercy of the insurance industry.” That’s an exaggeration. Nothing would change for those 55 and older. Those younger would get federal subsidies to buy private insurance from a Medicare exchange set up by the government.
■ He said “poor children,” “children with autism” and “kids with disabilities” would be left “to fend for themselves.” That, too, is an exaggeration. The GOP says states would have “freedom and flexibility to tailor a Medicaid program that fits the needs of their unique populations.” It doesn’t bar states from covering those children.
■ He repeated a deceptive talking point that the new health care law will reduce the deficit by $1 trillion. That’s the Democrats’ own estimate over a 20-year period. The Congressional Budget Office pegged the deficit savings at $210 billion over 10 years and warned that estimates beyond a decade are “more and more uncertain.”
■ He falsely claimed that making the Bush tax cuts permanent would give away “$1 trillion worth of tax cuts for every millionaire and billionaire.” That figure — which is actually $807 billion over 10 years — refers to tax cuts for individuals earning more than $200,000 and couples earning more than $250,000, not just millionaires and billionaires.
■ He said the tax burden on the wealthy is the lowest it has been in 50 years. But the most recent nonpartisan congressional analysis showed that the average federal tax rate for high-income taxpayers was lower in 1986.

Read More Here:http://factcheck.org/2011/04/factchecking-obamas-budget-speech/