In 2008, an average of 31 million children each month participated in the national school lunch program.
Source: Census Bureau
Year: 2009
62%: Conventional Wisdom or “Dubious Research”?
The liberal group Health Care for America Now has come out with another ad attacking the health insurance industry. The ad is running as part of a million dollar ad buy, according to the group. It repeats a claim that is being made repeatedly as the debate over overhauling the health care system heats up.
The ad says "62 percent of personal bankruptcies are caused by medical debt," and the group’s backup points to a study conducted by Harvard researchers,
Health Care Overhaul: Constitutional?
Q: Are the health care overhaul proposals that are pending in the House and Senate constitutional?
A: Legal experts agree that requiring citizens to buy something is a novel concept that has not been tested in the courts.
October 2, 2009
Of the 10.9 million children age 5 to 17 in the U.S. who speak a language other than English at home, 7.9 million speak Spanish.
Source: Census Bureau
Grayson’s Iffy Claims
Florida Democratic Rep. Alan Grayson is facing rebuke from House Republicans for saying that "Republicans want you to die quickly if you get sick." In a Sept. 29 speech on the House floor, Grayson said that the Republican health care plan is: "Don’t get sick. And if you do get sick, die quickly." Grayson later told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, "What I mean is they have got no plan," and that the lack of plan would allow uninsurance-related deaths to continue.
Obama’s Reading Material
Q: Was Obama reading an anti-America book written by a Muslim?
A: No. The book, a New York Times best-seller, is about America's role in a new global era. The author, a leading journalist, is a Muslim but describes himself as "not a religious guy."
October 1, 2009
Texas is the state that produces the most crude oil in the U.S., with 1,087,000 barrels a day.
Source: Energy Information Administration
The DNC and Senior Scare
The Democratic National Committee has released a new TV ad about health care legislation, this time on the Senate Finance Committee proposal.
In the ad, the DNC takes on Republicans for "trying to scare seniors about health reform," saying that news outlets had called their claims "dishonest" and "scare-mongering." The ad’s citations for both quotes check out – the first is from an editorial in the Palm Beach Post, the second from an editorial in The New York Times.
September 30, 2009
Seventy-one percent of U.S. oil consumption is for transportation.
Source: Energy Information Administration
FactCheck Mailbag, Week of Sept. 22-Sept. 28
This week, readers sent us comments on COLA, Michael Moore and how much they like FactCheck.
In the FactCheck Mailbag we feature some of the e-mail we receive. Readers can send comments to editor@factcheck.org. Letters may be edited for length.