PolitiFact.com
Statements about Children
Restore Our Future

Restore Our Future

Pants on Fire!

Distortion after distortion

Says Newt Gingrich "co-sponsored a bill with Nancy Pelosi that would have given $60 million a year to a U.N. program supporting China’s brutal one-child policy."

Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum

Half-True

Economy was a big factor too

As a result of welfare reform, "poverty levels went down to the lowest level ever for ... African-American children."

Mike DeWine

Mike DeWine

Mostly False

Studies don't support cause-and-effect claim

"At a minimum, 40 percent of those who view child pornography end up molesting children as a result." 

Edith Ajello

Edith Ajello

True

Unplanned parenthood

"Nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unintended."

James Langevin

James Langevin

False

Plausible but unproven

"Foster children are disproportionately victims of identity theft."

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

Half-True

Data is mixed

When George W. Bush was governor of Texas, "the percentage uninsured went down." Under his successor, Rick Perry, "it's gone up."

Paul Broun

Paul Broun

False

Chester the Cheetah's not dead yet

Stimulus money funded a government board that made recommendations that would cost 378,000 jobs and $28.3 billion in sales. 

Daniel McKee

Daniel McKee

Mostly True

It was just one test that few schools take

"This year, the Blackstone Valley Mayoral Academy became the first public school in Rhode Island history to have 100 percent of its elementary-age students proficient in reading on state assessments."

Richard Tomlins

Richard Tomlins

Pants on Fire!

Robocall does not compute

"Mayor Fung wants to punish our children's education by removing 12 million dollars from current funding to pay for his private charter school. Your taxes would increase by between 6 and 8 percent per year."

Doreen Costa

Doreen Costa

False

Studies show the opposite.

"The studies have shown us that [drug testing for welfare recipients] will be saving us money"

Raymond Lesniak

Raymond Lesniak

Half-True

Points deducted for use of dated data

Says "the most dangerous time for children" is from "3 to 6 p.m., during which time juvenile crime rates triple"

Gary Sasse

Gary Sasse

True

Reasons why are elusive

Rhode Island spends "52 percent more per capita on human service programs than the national average."

Tim Ryan

Tim Ryan

Mostly True

Bolsters education and ultimately earning power

"For every dollar we invest in Head Start, we get $5 to $7 back into our economy."

David Cicilline

David Cicilline

Pants on Fire!

4 Falses in 46 seconds.

The WIC program "is an incredibly cost effective program, serving nearly 10 million Americans each year and costing less than $100 per person. In my district, more than 18 percent of residents suffer from food insecurity and depend on WIC to make ends meet."

Kathleen Passidomo

Kathleen Passidomo

True

Sobering fact: Illegal gator killing can lead to more prison time than hosting underage drinking party

"It is a greater crime to have an untagged alligator than to host an open house party (for kids)."

Rob Eissler

Rob Eissler

Pants on Fire!

About 34 adults die per hour, according to an outdated estimate

"Obesity kills 34 children per hour."

E.J. Finocchio

E.J. Finocchio

False

There is an association, but it's not "most."

"Most of your serial killers, most of your people who commit domestic violence, they start off by abusing animals."

Amy Hanauer

Amy Hanauer

True

Figures for 2010 broke a record set in 2009

"To give a sense of how families are struggling, a record four out of every 10 school kids in Ohio now qualifies for subsidized lunch."

Sherrod Brown

Sherrod Brown

Mostly False

Medicaid spending on the elderly is disproportionate, but not that high

About two-thirds of Medicaid beneficiaries are children, but they account for one-third of the program’s cost, while one-third are elderly, and they account for two-thirds of the cost.

Stephen Wise

Stephen Wise

False

Hardened killers, yes; all from foster care, no

"Every person on death row was a foster kid."

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