copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: claims that Bertrand Russell once stated, "War does not determine who is right - only who is left." (Viral Quote, 2019-05-02)
Evidence (2024-10-01): Bertrand Russell was riding his bicycle one day when he realized that he didn’t love his wife anymore. I always found this story bizarre and unbelievable until a similar thing happened to me. I was reading the New York Times on Monday morning, June 28, when I suddenly realized that one of my love affairs was over. I am referring not to a personal relationship but to my love of the United States of America. At an exact moment in time, I realized that I no longer was a patriot. Webster’s defines a patriot as a person who loves and loyally or zealously supports his own country, which implies that there are two distinct components of patriotism, a feeling of love as well as an active expression of that devotion. Most Americans, even critics of the government, say that they are patriotic, but there are differences of opinion about how patriotism should be expressed. Some argue that patriotism involves obeying the law of the land as a minimum requirement and that its highest form is risking one’s life for one’s country, while others claim that civil disobedience can be an authentic form of patriotic action.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2023-04-13): There is no evidence for the claim. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports about any of the mentioned government agencies shutting down.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2023-04-13): "Congress, White House, IRS, Feds, Rederal Reserve are shut down," the April 13 post says, misspelling the Federal Reserve. [...] Congress, the White House, the Internal Revenue Service, the FBI and the Federal Reserve shutting down would constitute a huge news event, yet no such media reports exist. [...] We rate claims that these government institutions have shut down Pants on Fire!
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2024-03-15): Millions of federal workers and military personnel would be affected by the shutdown, including about 60% of civilian federal employees, according to Andrew Lautz, senior policy analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center. [...] The IRS has never experienced a shutdown during the filing season, Commissioner Danny Werfel told reporters in January, shortly before an earlier potential shutdown that Congress averted through a short-term funding bill. The agency would do what it could to minimize disruptions, he said at the time. In 2019, the longest government shutdown on record ended on January 25, and the tax filing season started on January 28.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2024-02-29): Earlier, on the Senate floor, Schumer said averting a shutdown requires resisting the demands of the "extreme hard right, who want to burn everything down." [...] Without the two stopgap measures, part of the federal government would shut down early Saturday, and the rest would shutter a week later. Johnson had proposed moving the two deadlines to March 8 and March 22, two sources familiar with the negotiations said. [...] There is broad agreement among the congressional leaders that a shutdown would be fruitless.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2024-09-23): "While this is not the solution any of us prefer, it is the most prudent path forward under the present circumstances," Johnson wrote. "As history has taught and current polling affirms, shutting the government down less than 40 days from a fateful election would be an act of political malpractice." [...] "So far, nothing has come up that we can’t deal with," said Cole, R-Okla. "Most people don’t want a government shutdown and they don’t want that to interfere with the election. So nobody is like, ‘I’ve got to have this or we’re walking.’ It’s just not that way." [...] The final result — government funding effectively on autopilot — was what many had predicted. With the election just weeks away, few lawmakers in either party had any appetite for the brinksmanship that often leads to a shutdown.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2021-09-30): Shutdowns are almost unique to US politics. In most countries, budget votes become votes of confidence in the government itself. But because the US has equal and often divided branches of government, that isn't the case. [...] Many federal agencies, which rely on the funding approved by Congress, are effectively closed down and hundreds of thousands of government employees have to take a leave of absence, often without pay. [...] Yes, quite a few times. There have been 14 shutdowns since 1981, some lasting for just a day, others for over a month.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2023-09-28): Unless Congress acts soon, the federal government will shut down. Again. [...] In the past four decades, the government has shut down 20 times. There were some shutdowns in the 1970s that lasted more than a week, but subsequent ones were pretty short until 1995, when then-President Bill Clinton faced off against a Republican House and Senate that led to two shutdowns for a total of 26 days. [...] Federal government shutdown could have tough consequences on Americans
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2021-10-01): Shutdown: Congress votes to keep US government open - Published President Joe Biden has signed into law a temporary measure to keep the government funded until early December and avoid yet another federal shutdown. [...] The newly approved funding ensures that federal agencies do not need to close down on Friday and hundreds of thousands of government employees will not have to take unpaid leave.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2023-10-01): The latest on a government shutdown: [...] "They’re trying to slow everything down. So we have a government shutdown. I don’t understand that," he said. [...] Many dejected lawmakers said a shutdown is all but inevitable at this point after conservative hard-liners in the House on Friday tanked a 30-day stopgap measure, known as a continuing resolution or CR.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2023-09-29): The White House has been branding the looming shutdown as an "Extreme Republican Shutdown," arguing that while the Senate is making "bipartisan progress towards keeping the government open and making a down payment on disaster relief funding," House Republicans are "playing partisan games with peoples' lives." [...] White House points to shutdown as impeachment hearing starts [...] "There are 61 hours and 25 minutes until the government shuts down because of extreme House Republicans’ chaos and inability to govern. The consequences for the American people will be very damaging — from lost jobs, to troops working without pay, to jeopardizing important efforts to fight fentanyl, deliver disaster relief, provide food assistance, and more," White House spokesperson Sharon Yang said in a statement. "Nothing can distract from that."
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2023-09-20): Federal government shutdowns occur when spending bills expire, and when Congress and the president (or different chambers of Congress) find themselves at an impasse. [...] There have been 20 shutdowns since 1976, according to the Congressional Research Service. [...] Congressional Research Service, "Shutdown of the federal government: causes, processes and effects," Nov. 30, 2017
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2024-09-23): In previous shutdowns, national parks have shuttered as rangers were furloughed and facilities closed. The National Institutes of Health would also be prohibited from admitting new patients or processing grant applications, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Some Internal Revenue Service employees could also be furloughed, potentially resulting in a delay of loan approvals. Air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration officials could also be forced to work without pay. The 2018-2019 shutdown prompted widespread air travel delays as some TSA agents and air traffic controllers called off work. While the State Department would likely continue issuing passports, some passport offices in federal buildings closed due to a shutdown could also shutter. [...] It ran from Dec. 22, 2018 to Jan. 25, 2019, during the Trump administration. At 34 days, it was the longest government shutdown in history by a significant margin, as most shutdowns in recent decades have lasted two weeks or less. [...] Government Shutdown Looms—Again—As Election Complicates Latest Fight (Forbes)
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2023-09-30): A shutdown occurs when Congress fails to approve new spending for federal agencies, which are generally barred from spending money without congressional authorization. There are some exceptions, like activities needed to protect life and property. Each agency makes its own determination about which employees are needed to stay on the job, meaning the impact on federal operations can vary widely. [...] Because of money Democrats approved through their landmark healthcare, tax and climate legislation last year, normal operations at the IRS would continue, and the agency's 83,000 workers would be saved from furlough. Taxpayers are still required to pay taxes during a shutdown. The tax agency's circumstances under a possible government shutdown this year would differ greatly from years past. In 2018, at least 26,000 furloughed IRS workers were called back to work without pay to get ready for the tax season, though 14,000 of those recalled employees didn't return, with thousands seeking permission under their union contract to be absent because of financial hardship.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2024-09-26): Below are the links to contingency plans for agencies across the Federal Government. The page will be updated as more plans are posted.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2024-09-10): Learn more about the facilities the Federal Reserve has established in response to events related to the COVID-19 pandemic and read reports filed with Congress pursuant to section 13(3) of the Federal Reserve Act.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (1999-01-01): The following day, cabinet members joined with Treasury and Federal Reserve officials to lay the groundwork for a national bank holiday, and at 1:00 a.m. on Monday, March 6, President Roosevelt issued a proclamation ordering the suspension of all banking transactions, effective immediately. It was based on drafts originally prepared for President Hoover by Treasury and Federal Reserve Board officials (Burns 1974, 42). The nationwide bank holiday was to extend through Thursday, March 9, at which time Congress would convene in extraordinary session to consider emergency legislation aimed at restoring public confidence in the financial system. Meanwhile, everyone else tried to deal with the reality that all banks were to remain closed until further notice. People had no way of knowing when, or if, they would ever see their money again. Yet, for the most part, there was surprisingly little panic. An article in the Boston Post noted: [...] The crisis began to subside on March 9, when Congress passed the Emergency Banking Act. On March 13, only four days after the emergency legislation went into effect, member banks in Federal Reserve cities received permission to reopen. By March 15, banks controlling 90 percent of the country’s banking resources had resumed operations and deposits far exceeded withdrawals. Although some 4,000 banks would remain closed forever and full economic recovery was still years in the future, the worst of the banking crisis seemed to be over.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2023-04-25): There have been four shutdowns where operations were affected for more than one business day. In 1995-1996, President Clinton and the Republican Congress were unable to agree on spending levels, so the government shut down twice, for a total of 26 days. In 2013, a standoff over funding for the Affordable Care Act resulted in a 16-day shutdown. And in December 2018 and January 2019, a dispute over border wall funding led to a shutdown that lasted 35 days; it was a partial shutdown because Congress had previously passed five of the 12 appropriation bills. (For more on shutdowns, see the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget’s FAQ.) Shutdowns can be disruptive, leading to delays in processing applications for passports, small business loans, or government benefits; shuttered visitor centers and bathrooms at national parks; fewer food-safety inspections, and various inconveniences. But shutdowns are now sufficiently likely that the White House Office of Management & Budget posts the contingency plans that government agencies maintain for shutdowns. In short, members of Congress, government employees, financial markets, and the press generally understand what happens when a failure to pass appropriations bills leads to a government shutdown. [...] In contrast to government shutdowns, a failure to raise the debt ceiling threatens not only the spending subject to annual appropriation by Congress, but all federal spending—including interest on the debt and Social Security, Medicare, and other government benefits. Federal employees can continue working—there is no need for agencies to decide which services are essential and which are not—but their paychecks may be delayed.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2024-09-18): Government Shutdowns Q&A: Everything You Should Know [...] Each federal agency develops its own shutdown plan, following guidance released in previous shutdowns and coordinated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The plan identifies which government activities may not continue until appropriations are restored, requiring furloughs and the halting of many agency activities. Essential services – many of which are related to public safety – continue to operate, with payments covering any obligations incurred only when appropriations are enacted. In prior shutdowns, border protection, in-hospital medical care, air traffic control, law enforcement, and power grid maintenance have been among the services classified as essential, while some legislative and judicial staff have also been largely protected. Mandatory spending not subject to annual appropriations, such as for Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, also continues. Other examples of activities that continue are those funded by permanent user fees that are not subject to appropriations, such as immigration services funded by visa fees. Certain programs that are funded through advance appropriations, such as those within the Veterans Health Administration, have been minimally affected during recent shutdowns. [...] At the beginning of the partial 2018-2019 shutdown, an estimated 380,000 employees were furloughed, a smaller number than usual since large federal employers such as the Veterans Affairs and Defense Departments were already funded. Another 420,000 employees reported to work but did not receive pay until the shutdown ended. As the 2018-2019 shutdown continued, departments and agencies such as the IRS and State Department recalled an increasing number of employees.
Claim: Congress, White House, IRS and Federal Reserve have all been shut down (Viral Post, 2023-04-13)
Evidence (2023-09-24): The White House warned that a shutdown could risk "significant delays for travelers" across the country. [...] The White House has also warned of shutdown impacts to national security, including the 1.3 million active-duty troops who would not get paid during a shutdown. [...] The shutdown would have a big impact on the Internal Revenue Service and its ability to service taxpayers, according to the contingency plan that the Treasury Department released on Thursday.
Claim: Biden said that 21 million Americans are covered through the Affordable Care Act, an increase of 9 million since he took office. (Joe Biden, 2024-04-03)
Evidence (2024-04-03): These statistics are accurate, according to spokespeople for the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Claim: Biden said that 21 million Americans are covered through the Affordable Care Act, an increase of 9 million since he took office. (Joe Biden, 2024-04-03)
Evidence (2024-04-09): FACT CHECK: Biden Claims 21 Million Americans Are Covered By ACA, A 9 Million Increase Since Taking Office President Joe Biden said in April 3 remarks that 21 million Americans are covered through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), an increase of 9 million since he took office. [...] During the same remarks, Biden claimed 21 million Americans are now covered through the Affordable Care Act, a 9 million increase since he took office in 2021. "Today, 21 million Americans are covered through the Affordable Care Act, 9 million more than when I took office," he said.
Claim: Biden said that 21 million Americans are covered through the Affordable Care Act, an increase of 9 million since he took office. (Joe Biden, 2024-04-03)
Evidence (2024-03-06): Today, more Americans have health insurance than under any President. The President's efforts to lower health insurance premiums have led to record-breaking enrollment in the Affordable Care Act's Marketplaces, with over 21 million people signing up for coverage – 9 million more than when the President took office. The Biden-Harris Administration isn't stopping there and is building on this incredible success by: [...] - Expanded health insurance through the ACA Marketplaces to an additional nine million Americans and helped over one million people in Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and South Dakota gain Medicaid coverage.
Claim: Biden said that 21 million Americans are covered through the Affordable Care Act, an increase of 9 million since he took office. (Joe Biden, 2024-04-03)
Evidence (2024-01-24): More than 21 million people have signed up for health plans through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces, the Biden administration announced Wednesday. The record level of enrollment comes as former president Donald Trump, seeking the GOP nomination, is again vowing to repeal the program if elected. Sign-ups in the health insurance marketplaces — a jump of 5 million since last year and the third straight year of record enrollment — were partly driven by states "unwinding" pandemic-era protections in Medicaid, with millions of people culled from the safety net health program, said Biden officials and outside researchers. The enrollment figures reflect a roughly 80 percent surge in sign-ups for the ACA since President Biden took office in 2021 and expanded the subsidies available to consumers. [...] Under Biden, health plans in the Affordable Care Act have become more affordable. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, or ARPA, contained provisions that expanded the number of people who were eligible for Affordable Care Act health plan subsidies by about 20 percent, and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 extended those subsidies.
Claim: Biden said that 21 million Americans are covered through the Affordable Care Act, an increase of 9 million since he took office. (Joe Biden, 2024-04-03)
Evidence (2024-09-10): The United States Treasury Department announced today, September 10th, that almost 50 million people have obtained healthcare coverage through marketplace exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act since its enactment more than a decade ago. The Department data show that one in seven Americans have been or are covered by the law. And since President Biden was inaugurated in January 2021, 18.2 million Americans have gotten ACA coverage for the first time. Rising enrollment since 2021 has been driven by an expansion under the Biden Administration of premium tax credits to include individuals and families with household incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level, which equates to $58,000 for a single person and $120,000 for a family of four. [...] When Biden assumed office, he sought to enlarge the ACA program and reverse some of the changes implemented by the Trump Administration that had shrunk its size. As a consequence of the aforementioned premium tax credits issued to eligible enrollees and a provision incorporated in the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022 that includes extended subsidies for plans that sell insurance on the ACA exchanges, record numbers of Americans are now enrolled in healthcare arrangements related to the ACA.
Claim: Biden said that 21 million Americans are covered through the Affordable Care Act, an increase of 9 million since he took office. (Joe Biden, 2024-04-03)
Evidence (2024-01-24): Statement from President Joe Biden on the Record-Breaking 2024 Open Enrollment Period Under the Affordable Care Act Today, we broke another record when it comes to lowering costs and ensuring Americans have access to quality, affordable healthcare: 21.3 million Americans have signed up for health coverage through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. That means 9 million more people have gained coverage under the law – and peace of mind – since I took office. It’s no accident. My actions to protect the Affordable Care Act and lower premiums continue to make a big difference. And the American people have made it clear: they don’t want the Affordable Care Act weakened and repealed – they want it strengthened and protected. We need to build on the progress we’ve made by making lower premiums permanent. But Republicans in Congress have a different vision. Their recent budget would get rid of the improvements I signed into law, raising costs for millions of people. Over the last decade, extreme Republicans in Congress have blocked efforts to lower health care costs, and they’re still trying to end the Affordable Care Act, just as my predecessor tried and failed to do. Repealing the Affordable Care Act would throw these 21 million people off their coverage, and end Medicaid coverage for millions more. It would return to the days when insurance companies could rip Americans off by denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, charge women more than men, and make older adults pay astronomical health care premiums based on their age. We must not and will not go back.