Fiscal FactCheck

This blog is the first in a “ Fiscal FactCheck ” designed to examine the accuracy of budget-related statements made during the 2016 presidential...

During last night's debate, Gov. Huckabee said, “We’ve reduced the military by 25 percent under President Obama.” There are a lot of ways to interpret...

In response to a question about his plan for 4 percent economic growth, former Gov. Jeb Bush said, “We’ve done it 27 times since World War II. I think...

When talking about his plans for Social Security and Medicare, Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) stated that Congress should not be “talking about getting rid...

Although Social Security and Medicare are two of the fastest growing programs in the budget, many argue against making adjustments to these programs...

Increasing the amount of wages subject to Social Security payroll taxes from the current $118,500 cap would raise more revenue and improve the...

One of the most common myths about the national debt is that we can increase it without consequence. Some argue that because the United States borrows...

Candidates who propose tax reform plans that are revenue-neutral may suggest that the cost of tax rate reductions can be offset by closing egregious...

Some candidates may suggest that we can fix the debt simply by cutting welfare spending, but there is not enough spending in this category to...

A popular suggestion is that raising taxes only on high earners (for example, the top one percent – households that make above roughly $435,000...

Suggesting that the U.S. can grow our way out of debt – increasing economic growth to stabilize or shrink debt as a share of GDP – is a popular idea...

When asked how they will fix the debt, many candidates may point to seemingly painless solutions such as reducing fraud, ending earmarks, or cutting...