copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2024-08-01): Overall, federal aid to state and local governments has risen by over $400 billion since 2019 because of COVID-19's burden on healthcare and social programs. [...] The COVID-19 public health emergency – which officially ended May 11, 2023 – made it difficult for local organizations to request funds and for federal bodies to grant them due to stringent requirements attached to specific grant measures, as opposed to general purpose fiscal assistance. As a result, the Office of Management and Budget issued temporary exceptions to allow aid to flow more freely during the pandemic. [...] Total federal funding to state and local governments fell 23.2% between 2021 and 2023 but remains higher than pre-pandemic levels. Much of this reduction is attributable to the December 2021 end of the Covid Relief Fund, which provided general support to help states maintain balanced operating budgets amidst the pandemic's economic downturn.
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2021-04-30): An Associated Press Fact Check finds it’s actually the other way around. High-tax, traditionally Democratic states (blue), subsidize low-tax, traditionally Republican states (red) — in a big way. [...] — "States that got their act together are paying for states that didn’t," the Wisconsin Republican said. [...] Find AP Fact Checks at https://apnews.com/tag/APFactCheck
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2023-10-16): In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2021-07-06): All of that seems true to me.
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2024-02-02): "These lawmakers don’t care about the strain on the budget or what this does to our schools and our communities," says Michael McGowan, a high school teacher in Glendale. "It’s just an attack on public education. Taking money out of the system, draining resources, weakening our schools— that’s the point."
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2023-08-24): And I’d say the last thing is this, Bret. We cannot sit by any longer and allow the kind of spending that is going on in Washington. Because every dollar they spend is a dollar that these people are not allowed to spend on their children and their grandchildren. It’s robbing our country and it’s wrong. [...] We need to get back to freedom and liberty for the people in this country. And we can have — we can have Republicans who fight for 50 years for this great cause and we return it back to the states. And then the next day, they turn around and go, no, the Fed should do that. Because the Feds are stepping into people’s lives. They’re stepping into people’s businesses over and over. [...] And yet Democrats and liberal prosecutors in major metropolitan areas continue to — to work out their fanciful agendas, to — to do bail reform and — and go easy. What we need is — is strong commitment to law enforcement. We need leadership in Washington, D.C., that will marshal the resources of the states, marshal the resources of the American people.
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2021-08-10): Here, we offer some important context for the trends observed in 2020: [...] Don’t forget the fine print
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2024-07-25): As we had to in prior years, we will need to call on Congress to act! [...] Given the information we now have on the scope of the health crisis and the funding shortfall the World Trade Center Health Program faces, it is our hope that Congress will in fact remember 9/11 by providing the needed funds and passing 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2024 (S. 4724 /H.R.9101). [...] Type in your address above and we will look up your Members of Congress and tell you if they:
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2020-05-28): "I had to deplete my 401k completely in order to survive and to maintain my family," said Papon. "That hurts. After so many years you have built this savings and this cushion so you could be able to retire later on. Now all of sudden you have this money gone which is pretty sad. Definitely it has affected me mentally." [...] "Whatever people are going through before the pandemic, now times are harder for them. So it has been like that for us for basically three years. We have scraped by, barely having enough to hold on to keep going, at the bottom of the barrel, but now we get kicked in the teeth again through this pandemic." [...] Supporters of the striking workers, such as New York City Council Member Barry S. Grodenchik, are dumbfounded that, after three years, Spectrum has still refused to reach an agreement with Local 3 over their pension fund and healthcare plan, even during the COVID-19 crisis.
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2021-01-04): But in the outbreak’s early days, when decisiveness mattered most, few other politicians were paying attention. It had been a century since the previous great pandemic, which found its way from the trenches of the First World War to tropical jungles and Eskimo villages. Back then, scientists scarcely knew what a virus was. In the twenty-first century, infectious disease seemed like a nuisance, not like a mortal threat. This lack of concern was reflected in the diminished budgets given to institutions that once had led the world in countering disease and keeping Americans healthy. Hospitals closed; stockpiles of emergency equipment weren’t replenished. The spectre of an unknown virus arising in China gave certain public-health officials nightmares, but it wasn’t on the agenda of most American policymakers. [...] The Crimson Contagion exercise inspired little confidence that the government was prepared to handle such a crisis. Federal agencies couldn’t tell who was in charge; states grew frustrated in their attempts to secure enough resources. During the simulation, some cities defied a C.D.C. recommendation to close schools. Government policies, the report concluded, were inadequate and "often in conflict." The Public Health Emergency Fund and the Strategic National Stockpile were dangerously depleted; N95 masks and other medical essentials were in short supply, and domestic manufacturing capacity was insufficient. Congress was briefed on the findings but they were never made public. By the time COVID arrived, no meaningful changes had been made to address these shortcomings.
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2020-04-03): 1. Social Assistance 140. The federal Government in the US responded with various cash-based and in-kind assistance, including direct payments, tax credits, and food, housing, and medical assistance. The US did not, however, create non-contributory social pensions, cash-for-work schemes, or waivers or subsidies of social security contributions. As with other aspects of US social policy, tax rebates and income tax credits played a major role in the federal Government’s policy response, as outlined in Part V.A.3 below. Notably, traditional cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant did not play a significant role in Covid-19-related changes to US social assistance. [...] They did so by providing federal funding for states to pay benefits to workers who lost hours (even if they retained their jobs), as well as to various non-employee workers including those loosely defined as working in the ‘gig economy’ who are traditionally excluded from UI programs.328 The American Rescue Plan extended the UI scheme further through 6 September 2021.329 As a result of these expansions, the US saw over 100 million initial claims for either state or federal unemployment benefits from 21 March 2020 to 21 March 2021, and researchers estimate that one in four Americans accessed these benefits at some point during the pandemic.330 151. [...] 300 The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act 2020; The Families First Coronavirus Response Act 2020; The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act 2020; Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act 2020; Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021; The American Rescue Plan Act 2021.
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2021-02-18): What has occurred in the past five months relative to the virus unfortunately fits in much too closely with predictions of contagion, about a U.S. torn apart by wealth inequality, racial and other critical tensions around competing views of social justice, the difficulty of coping with an incredibly large and rapidly increasing national debt and annual budget that even before the pandemic stimulus was growing more than $1 trillion per year, aging population demographics that Pope Francis has referred to as the ‘Age Curse,’ along with health care issues and underfunded pension concerns facing the federal, state and local governments (as well as corporate pension and health plans)." [...] "In the short-medium term, I expect this to have significant disruptive effects requiring workers across the economy to retrain and be more flexible and adaptive. The overhang of COVID-19-related debt, grotesquely amplified by bad fiscal policies since 2016, will make it difficult to raise the funds for subsidy programs to aging populations, and the pension-fund risk is significant and could herald a global economic crisis that might make 2008 look like child’s play. … The world is a more complex place and this requires more multidisciplinary, cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural engagement to address challenges; putting those together is hard. Digital technology is essential to support the multistakeholder types of governance solutions we need, but it is also very effective in implementing authoritarian solutions and in mobilizing ignorance and mob rule. It will be a battle to see whether our better halves can succeed."
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2024-08-28): Other demands include testing all water sources at Oakland schools immediately and annually, testing all playgrounds, gardens and outdoor areas, facilitating free blood testing for students, teachers and community members, and completing infrastructure repairs. [...] Key takeaways include the fact that prices have exploded and that states that invested additional dollars in child care have fared better than those that did not. Notably, the report concluded that the sector was in crisis long before anyone heard of COVID-19, but the challenges have been exacerbated by the pandemic. [...] "It is important to remain disciplined when considering bills with significant fiscal implications that are not included in the budget, such as this measure. For these reasons, I cannot sign this bill," he said.
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2022-09-15): Many Americans view this moment with concern, but their worry is measured: America’s system is creaky, but the world’s oldest democracy has strong institutions and will pull through. [...] Americans of both political parties who find themselves on the wrong side of their partisan divide, and those in the exhausted majority, feel democracy has devolved into mob rule and is a sham. [...] 63 Ally J. Levine and Minami Funakoshi, "Financial Sinkholes," Reuters, November 24, 2020, https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-ELECTION/SENATE-FUNDRAISING/yxmvjeyjkpr.
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2022-11-17): New York Office of Children and Family Services and California Department of Social Services provided on-background interviews. We posed questions regarding agency policies and practices on assessing and addressing the role of poverty in child welfare decision making, the complex needs of parents with substance use disorders, and the racial disparities and disproportionalities within their state’s child welfare system. [...] States were told by the federal government that "they could not deny [financial support] based on suitable-home tests unless they took steps to rehabilitate the family," and for families deemed by the state to be incapable of rehabilitation, Congress amended Title IV of the Social Security Act to provide federal funding to place their children in the foster system.[25] [...] —Bobbie Butts, advocate, California, April 15, 2022[214]
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2023-09-27): The likely record number of asylum seekers and other migrants entering the United States after being apprehended at the southern border is placing an unprecedented financial strain on states and cities nationwide, even as local governments continue to recover from the economic toll resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The absence of federal support to significantly defray state and local costs, long waits for migrants to work legally, and large numbers arriving without connections in the country have combined to create an inordinate burden for several major receiving cities, which have spent billions to meet immediate needs. The situation has aggravated already tight housing markets and prompted a blame game pitting city, state, and federal leaders against each other. New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been most vocal about his frustration with the federal government, sparking tensions with the White House with recent remarks that a migrant influx he estimates will cost New Yorkers $12 billion by mid-2025 "will destroy" the city. [...] A relatively small number of states provide state-funded benefits to all noncitizens regardless of status or to asylum applicants in particular. For example, California funds public health insurance for residents up to age 26 and over age 49, Illinois provides asylum applicants with food assistance and 24 months of medical coverage, New York State provides public health insurance to all children, and Washington, DC covers health insurance for all residents.
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2021-04-28): States such as Texas; the Commonwealth of Kentucky; cities, including Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles; transit systems such as New York's MTA; airports like DFW, and Chicago O'Hare; [...] As we look to the future, we believe that some States and municipalities will come out of the crisis stronger, but this may not be true for those municipalities that had pre-existing structural deficits in their budgets. Some States and municipalities may find that their particular economy may be fundamentally altered for some time, including those dependent on long commutes to downtown office districts, as well as leisure and business travel destinations. [...] Mr. Nadler, where do you see the municipal bond market moving in the future, post-pandemic? How has the market changed? And can you speak to whether or not we actually needed the bailouts of the State and local governments, if we had just encouraged municipalities to utilize the MLF, maybe they would have just been as well off?
Claim: "States like New York, Illinois and California have been vocal in their demands for funding to bail out their pension systems, which were failing long before the COVID-19 outbreak, and other programs that aren’t related to this crisis." (Andy Biggs, 2020-05-07)
Evidence (2024-09-30): I voted "No" on H.Res.1061, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, which funds departments such as the VA, USDA, Commerce, DOJ, Department of Energy, Department of Interior, and Department of Transportation though the remainder of the 2024 fiscal year. While there were positive aspects of this bill, including the 12 Community Funding Projects we submitted to help residents of NY-24, fully funding veterans’ healthcare and toxic exposure programs, military construction projects and important agricultural research programs, this bill in its entirety, negotiated behind closed doors, was a bridge too far. With over $34 trillion of national debt and counting, Congress should not spend another $1.65 trillion while failing to address the crises plaguing our nation in a meaningful way. I understand the complexity and frustration of a divided government, however our communities will continue to suffer under Biden’s polices that spend our tax dollars on the woke and Green New Deal projects that have been inserted into this bill. This 1,050-page spending monstrosity does not provide the relief that the American people are demanding and will only increase already sky-high prices and add to our national debt.
Claim: “Free health allowance is available at no cost.” (Facebook, 2022-08-22)
Evidence (2022-08-22): President Joe Biden has not announced a new initiative to give Americans more than $5,000 in cash or credit to cover health care. It’s not safe to turn over personal information to unfamiliar websites.
Claim: “Free health allowance is available at no cost.” (Facebook, 2022-08-22)
Evidence (2024-01-01): If you get PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance, Adult Disability Payment or Child Disability Payment, check if the person who looks after you can get Carer’s Allowance.
Claim: “Free health allowance is available at no cost.” (Facebook, 2022-08-22)
Evidence (2024-01-10): $0 cost-shares on select benefits: To ensure important services are affordable, we offer certain services at no additional cost to the member, including $0 copay for colonoscopies at in-network providers. In 2025, we have plans that offer $0 copay for primary care visits and labs.
Claim: “Free health allowance is available at no cost.” (Facebook, 2022-08-22)
Evidence (2020-07-29): free NHS dental treatmentfree NHS sight testsfree NHS wigs and fabric supportshelp with the cost of glasses or contact lensesrefunds of necessary travel costs to receive NHS treatment If you’re receiving contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance, you are not automatically entitled to free NHS prescriptions. [...] Your entitlement depends on your take-home pay in the last assessment period.
Claim: “Free health allowance is available at no cost.” (Facebook, 2022-08-22)
Evidence (2019-04-02): A. Free Personal Care has been available in Scotland for adults aged 65 or over since 2002. The Scottish Government has legislated to ensure that by 1 April 2019 adults of any age, no matter their condition, capital or income, who are assessed by their local authority as needing this service, are entitled to receive this without charge. Free Nursing Care is similar and has been available to all who are assessed as requiring nursing care services, regardless of age, without charge. [...] However, Free Personal and Nursing Care payments will only begin when an assessment has been carried out and a contract is in place with the care home. It is not possible to have Free Personal and Nursing Care payments backdated to a point before the contract is in place. [...] A. All local authorities have criteria which recognise urgency and risk as factors in determining eligibility for services, such as personal care. Those at the higher risks (critical or substantial), will be more likely to receive Free Personal and Nursing Care services or to receive them sooner, than those who are assessed as moderate or low risk.
Claim: “Free health allowance is available at no cost.” (Facebook, 2022-08-22)
Evidence (2023-01-26): The claim: Biden’s executive order gives free health insurance [...] "Your 2023 Relief Package Is Here!," reads the caption of the post. "President Biden signed Executive Order 14009 making Health Insurance FREE for qualifying Americans. Thanks to the Affordable Cart (sic) Act, American’s (sic) with less than $50k/year income now qualify to get Health Plans for as low as $0/month." [...] The order requires heads of agencies to examine policies or practices that "may present unnecessary barriers to individuals and families" attempting to access either Medicaid or Affordable Care Act coverage. The order makes no reference to free health insurance coverage.
Claim: “Free health allowance is available at no cost.” (Facebook, 2022-08-22)
Evidence (2024-01-01): Certain benefits and exemptions can automatically entitle you to help with NHS health costs. You’re entitled to help with your health costs if you get, or are included in an award of someone getting: [...] - free NHS prescriptions - free NHS dental treatment - free NHS sight tests - free NHS wigs and fabric supports - help towards the cost of glasses or contact lenses - help towards travel costs to receive NHS treatment