WHEN CONGRESSMAN JOE Wilson (R-SC, 2nd) leapt to his feet and said “You lie!” during President Obama’s health care address to a joint session of Congress, he re-ignited a claim that many opponents have seized on to build opposition to health care reform.
Congressman Wilson later apologized to the president for his “lack of civility,” saying that his “comments were inappropriate and regrettable.”
But was Joe Wilson right?
The morning after President Obama’s speech, a man sitting next to me on my flight to Pittsburgh told me that factcheck.org agreed with Wilson. I had difficulty believing that claim, so when I landed I went to www.factcheck.org and looked it up for myself.
My airplane seatmate had it backwards.
Factcheck.org says, “Obama was correct (my emphasis) when he said his plan wouldn’t insure illegal immigrants; the House bill expressly forbids giving subsidies to those who are in the country illegally.”
That statement came from factcheck.org’s own analysis of H.R. 3200. They also looked at a report from the Congressional Research Service. Many people claim
the CRS report says immigrants will be covered. But factcheck.org states, “In fact, that report says exactly what we concluded... The bill does not provide coverage for illegal immigrants.”
Factcheck.org is a credible source for determining the truth of claims made in the media. It was created by a nonpartisan group, the Annenberg Public Policy Center. This is an organization that performs research on a wide variety of issues in public communication about public policy. Factcheck.org is truly nonpartisan. If something is true or false, they say so, regardless of who originally made the claim.
You can submit questions to factcheck.org to get their analysis. If you do so, and get an answer, www.boilermakers.org would like to know what you learned.
My experience with that man on the airplane is just another reminder that lies and distortions do not die easily. With the most expensive health care in the world, a health care system that ranks only 37th according to the World Health Organization, tens of millions with no insurance, and premiums rising faster than wages, it is clear that the United States needs health care reform.
Don't get fooled by the misinformation. When you need to learn the truth, go
to www.factcheck.org.
Donald Caswell, Boilermaker Director of Communication & Education
