PolitiFact.com
Statements about Social Security
Rick Perry

Rick Perry

Mostly False

Bank shot

Says Mitt Romney wrote that if Social Security was done "in the private sector, it would be called criminal."

Rachel Maddow

Rachel Maddow

Mostly True

Older Americans hanging in there

"Poverty among Americans 65 and over is statistically unchanged" in recent years because of Social Security.

Herman Cain

Herman Cain

Half-True

Some do, some don't

"Today, when people retire in Galveston County, Texas, they retire making at least 50 percent more than they would ever get out of Social Security."

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

Mostly True

His 2010 book isn't explicit, but strongly suggests it

Says that in his book, Rick Perry said that "Social Security is unconstitutional."

Rick Perry

Rick Perry

False

Perry's tone has softened, but his comparison is still wrong

Social Security is a "Ponzi scheme."

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

True

Tough talk straight from Perry's book

"In writing his book, Gov. Perry pointed out that … by any measure Social Security has been a failure."

Ed Schultz

Ed Schultz

Half-True

Liberal think tank looks just at benefits, not taxes

"In (Sen. Marco) Rubio's state of Florida alone, Social Security lifts more than -- count it -- a million people out of poverty."

Margaret Carlson

Margaret Carlson

Half-True

Rec: Read his book

Rick Perry "has advocated abandoning Social Security, scuttling Medicaid and ending the federal income tax."

Marco Rubio

Marco Rubio

True

Simple stat exposes Social Security's problems

"When Social Security first started, there was 16 workers for every retiree. Today there are three workers for every retiree and soon there will be only two for every retiree."

Barry Hinckley

Barry Hinckley

False

"No money" earned $117.5 billion in interest last year

"There's no money in Social Security."

Alliance for Retired Americans

Alliance for Retired Americans

Mostly False

Didn't for years, does now

"Social Security doesn’t contribute a penny to the deficit."

Dennis Kucinich

Dennis Kucinich

Mostly True

Trust fund should be flush, but Congress tapped the pot

"Social Security didn’t cause the debt crisis. Social Security had nothing to do with the debt crisis."

Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Half-True

Into uncharted territory

Social Security and other federal checks may not go out on Aug. 3 if the debt ceiling is not increased.

Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich

Mostly True

Newt is almost on the money

Every 10th dollar spent by the Social Security Administration on its program for the poor is "waste, or fraud, they can’t validate that the people should have gotten it," totaling about $8 billion a year.

Herman Cain

Herman Cain

Half-True

Some do, some don't

Says an alternative to Social Security that operates in Galveston County, Texas, has meant that participants will "retire with a whole lot more money" than under Social Security.

Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum

False

No, it's tied to consumer prices

"The cost-of-living increase in Social Security is tied to wage inflation."

Scott Rigell

Scott Rigell

False

Not even close

"The (national) debt really added up $75 trillion in 2010 and is on track to hit $99 trillion this year."

Chain email

Chain email

Pants on Fire!

Minimum service: 5 years. Maximum pay: 80 percent.

Members of Congress "receive full pay retirement after serving one term."

Scott Fitzgerald

Scott Fitzgerald

False

Aide says he misspoke. But even then, his numbers have issues

One of every two Wisconsin residents are "on some kind of government handout."

Amy Kremer

Amy Kremer

Half-True

The math works, as long as you don't spend a dime on defense

"We bring in enough tax revenue to service our debt, pay for Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, and then still have about $300 (billion) or $400 billion left over."

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