It’s a health care edition of Groundhog Friday, featuring repeated claims from Sens. Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz.
Groundhog Friday
Locations: National
Cruz’s Obamacare Whopper
Sen. Ted Cruz claimed that “Obamacare is discouraging people from going to medical school.” Actually, medical school applicants and enrollees are at an all-time high.
No Evidence Sanctuary Cities ‘Breed Crime’
In a pre-Super Bowl interview on Fox, President Donald Trump claimed sanctuary cities “breed crime.” But limited research on the effect of such policies has found no evidence that they lead to overall increases in crime rates.
No Data Manipulation at NOAA
Top Republicans on the House science committee claim a former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientist “confirmed” that his NOAA colleagues “manipulated” climate data for a 2015 study. But that scientist denies that he accused NOAA of manipulating data.
Neil Gorsuch Didn’t Start Fascism Club
Q: Did Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch start a fascism club in high school?
A: No. Gorsuch’s senior yearbook jokingly says that he was the founder and president of the “Fascism Forever Club” at Georgetown Preparatory School.
Trump’s Baffling Tweet on Gorsuch
President Donald Trump falsely claimed a Democratic senator “misrepresents” a conversation that the senator had with Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Neil Gorsuch. In fact, Gorsuch’s spokesman confirmed the senator’s account.
White House Not Selling Jewelry
Q: Did the White House website feature a “QVC ad” for jewelry sold by Melania Trump?
A: No. The first lady’s biography page initially said that her jewelry line was sold on QVC. However, that reference has since been removed.
Sanders and Pruitt Rumble Over Earthquakes
Sen. Bernie Sanders claimed that “the cause of” the spike in earthquakes in Oklahoma “is fracking.” But it’s more complicated than that.
Ted Cruz on SCOTUS Vacancies
Sen. Ted Cruz said that “it has been 80 years since the Senate confirmed any judicial vacancy for the Supreme Court that occurred during a presidential election.” He’s (almost) right, but his claim lacks context.
Pelosi’s False ‘Wall Street’ Denial
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a nationally televised town meeting on Jan. 31: “No, we [Democrats] don’t get much support from Wall Street.” That’s not so.