Fact Testing: Rep. Budd’s incentive stimulus has little to do with COVID-19 ‘Half True’ | WFAE 90.7

This week, we look at a claim by Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Budd of the 13th District of North Carolina, which includes Rowan County. In a speech on the home floor last week, Budd said the nearly $ 20 billion stimulus package, known as the U.S. rescue plan, has very little to do with the coronavirus. “What the Democratic package does spend money on is another biased wish list, with about 9% of it actually going to COVID,” Budd said. “Meaning, 91% of them are not even COVID-related.”

WRAL’s Paul Specht joins us to judge Budd’s claim.

Marshall Terry: First, Paul, gives us an overview of this stimulus plan, which President Biden unveiled in January.

Photo courtesy of Paul Specht

Paul Specht: Here are many. And what we do with this fact check is to go through and see how the percentages come out, how much goes to vaccination of vaccines, vaccine, education, even how much goes to other COVID-related measures that deal with its detection, testing , contact detection, such things. And when we go on the list, we look at things like unemployment benefits that are being extended and money to help reopen schools.

Apart from that, we even start with priorities that some people find less and less COVID related. And that, according to some people, includes the direct stimulus controls for Americans. And then on to the list of proposed extensions to the Affordable Care Act, and so on, the child tax credit, such things. Different people draw the lines in different places when it comes to what is not and what is not absolutely necessary.

Terry: Well, that leads me to the next question. Obviously, this package covers a lot of land, as you just explained. Was Ted Budd right when he said that 91% of them are not related to COVID?

Woodpecker: The first part of his claim is correct. There are 9% or less that go directly to fighting the coronavirus. Like I mentioned, contact detection, explosion of vaccines, stuff like that. But that does not mean that 91% are not COVID-related at all. We spoke to experts from the Tax Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute – which is of course a little more right, and they say it is fair to categorize the extension of unemployment benefits and the school reopening of money as directly COVID-related. , because if it is not the pandemic, that expansion and reopening of money is not necessary.

Terry: What did Budd mean by what he said?

Woodpecker: He said he was only referring to the medical aspect of fighting the virus itself. But if you listen to his comments – and he posted his speech on Twitter, a video of his speech – it does not exactly occur. Someone can hear him talking and thinking, ‘Oh, well, there are pet projects, ear tags – there’s pork in this bill that’s not related to the virus itself.’ And that’s not the right impression.

There are things that some people say are not directly related at all. For example, the Committee on a Responsible Federal Budget – it sounds like a real committee; it’s actually a brainstorm – estimated at about $ 312 billion ‘has little to do with the current crisis’. This is their measurement, not ours.

But they proposed a bill that would cost $ 1.3 billion and even an alternative plan that they said would be more effective – $ 1.1 trillion. So it cuts out about $ 800 billion, so it’s fair for Budd to say that there are things unrelated to COVID here. Experts agree. There are there are definitely the things.

But he gets carried away by saying that the rest of the bill, which is not directly aimed at the virus, is not related to the pandemic at all. Some of it is. And I keep mentioning that line of thinking: they agreed that unemployment benefits and the reopening of dollars in particular are directly linked to the pandemic.

Terry: What happens to the account now?

Woodpecker: Well, the House passed it along last week along biased lines. So, out of all the headlines I’ve seen, the Senate is going to pick it up this week, where it’s expected to fall along biased lines again. It may be so tight that the vice president has to break a tie, but we’ll see. You never know.

Terry: How did you write this claim from Congressman Ted Budd?

Woodpecker: We looked at his entire sentence – not just the 9%, not the 91%, but his full sentence. He says about 9% of (the US rescue plan) goes to COVID … which means 91% of them are not even COVID-related. ‘It’s not right, so we considered the claim half true. Just on balance, he got it half right here.

Terry: Good. Thanks, Paul.

Woodpecker: Thank you.

These fact checks are a collaboration between PolitiFact and WRAL. You can hear them Wednesdays on WFAE’s Morning Edition.