The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Jan. 7 challenging the Biden administration’s attempts to expand COVID-19 vaccinations. Here we present the facts on some COVID-19 claims made by the justices.
FactChecking the Justices’ COVID-19 Claims
Person: Joe Biden
Biden’s Wage Claims: Mostly Malarkey
President Joe Biden has been saying “wages are up” and rising “faster than inflation.” While weekly paychecks have indeed gotten larger since he became president, they have not kept pace with inflation.
Analyzing Republican Attacks on Biden for Increase in Fentanyl Seized
U.S. border officials reported seizing 10,856 pounds of fentanyl being smuggled across the southwest border in fiscal year 2021, a 132% increase from fiscal year 2020. Some Republicans have misleadingly suggested that the amount of drugs seized is a negative development attributable to the immigration policies of President Joe Biden.
U.S. Oil Reserve Created for Supply Disruptions, Not Strictly Military Use
The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve was set up as an emergency source of oil to keep supplies flowing in the event of unexpected disruptions. It’s not just designed “for when we get attacked and need the fuel to keep our Air Force in the air,” as social media posts falsely claim.
Social Media Posts Misrepresent Old Biden Tweet on Travel Ban
President Joe Biden restricted travel from eight African nations on Nov. 26 to slow the spread of the omicron variant. Conservative commentators have misleadingly cited a Biden tweet from last year to claim he was critical of “the same travel ban” implemented by then-President Donald Trump. But that tweet was about a Trump immigration order directed at predominantly Muslim countries.
CBO: Build Back Better Not Quite ‘Fully Paid For’
For weeks, President Joe Biden has been saying the Build Back Better plan would be “fully paid for” and would not increase the deficit. But the official congressional scorekeeper in its long-awaited final analysis contradicted the president’s claims.
White House Uses ‘Job-Years,’ Not Jobs, to Tout Infrastructure Law
Both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris lauded the bipartisan infrastructure legislation for creating good-paying jobs for “millions” of Americans. But they meant millions of job-years, not millions of additional jobs.
Biden Botches Virginia Election History
Seeking to deflect the significance of Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s loss in the Virginia governor’s race to Republican Glenn Youngkin, President Joe Biden wrongly claimed that “no governor in Virginia has ever won when … he or she is the same party as the sitting president.”
Biden Spins Facts on Framework
In a speech announcing the framework for a pared-down spending plan, President Joe Biden made some questionable claims.
FactChecking Biden’s Town Hall
We spotted a few instances in President Joe Biden’s televised town hall when his answers didn’t square with the facts.