Liberal lawmakers and other supporters of Social Security protested outside the White House when President Barack Obama proposed in his budget a change that would result in smaller increases in future Social Security benefits.

Jeff Merkley's Social Security claim elicits blasts from both sides: PolitiFact Oregon

PolitiFact Oregon checked a claim by U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., that "Social Security doesn't contribute one cent to the deficit." The minute the story went up, those on both sides of the argument started howling.

Rulings from PolitiFact National

Says Marsha Blackburn "at the behest of the pharmaceutical industry, co-sponsored a law that ... — Phil Bredesen
Says 3,000 people "did not die" in two hurricanes that hit Puerto Rico. That ... — Donald Trump
Says Dino Rossi "stripped" health care "from 45,000 children." — House Majority PAC
Says Minnesota U.S. House candidate Joe Radinovich has "spent his life running from the law, charged ... — Congressional Leadership Fund
"Puerto Rico’s electric grid and their electric generating plant was dead before the storms ... — Donald Trump
Says the Trump administration transferred $10 million from FEMA to ICE. — Jeff Merkley
Says Joe Donnelly "voted to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, including criminals, ... — One Nation PAC
Says at his confirmation hearing Brett Kavanaugh said birth control methods could be considered ... — Kamala Harris
Says Joe Radinovich "was cited 30 times for not paying court fines." — Congressional Leadership Fund
"When Abraham Lincoln made the Gettysburg Address speech, the great speech, do you know ... — Donald Trump
"Your family" will pay $2,500 "after Kara Eastman eliminates your tax cut." — Congressional Leadership Fund
Says Amy McGrath "wants to fund more welfare for people who can work, but ... — Congressional Leadership Fund
"In Augusta, (Jared) Golden voted to let welfare recipients use your tax dollars to ... — Congressional Leadership Fund
"We’re making (Medicare) stronger. We’re making Social Security stronger." — Donald Trump
"Someone can write an article or book, totally make up stories and form a ... — Donald Trump

The Latest from PolitiFact Oregon

Exaggerated rhetoric

Ron Wyden

"Republicans in Congress are plotting to take away Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security."

— PolitiFact National on Thursday, April 5th, 2018

No one's getting rich, but incomes are up

Dennis Richardson

"Women and men both are making less when you adjust for inflation than when" John Kitzhaber was first elected governor.

— PolitiFact Oregon on Thursday, October 30th, 2014

Some surprisingly healthy gains

John Kitzhaber

"Ninety-five percent of Oregonians now have health insurance coverage, tens of thousands for the very first time."

— PolitiFact Oregon on Monday, October 20th, 2014

Planes, claims and automobiles

Lars Larson

"TSA WILL ACCEPT DRIVERS PRIV CARDS FOR ID AT THE AIRPORT"

— PolitiFact Oregon on Tuesday, October 7th, 2014

Guarantee two years of community college to those with new Oregon Diploma

Update: A new direction for state-funded college financial aid

A basketball claim that's out of bounds

Bloggers

Was Martha Kanter "dispatched to Corvallis with $17 million in stimulus money" to save Craig Robinson’s job?

— PolitiFact Oregon on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014

A bill's not a law, simple as that

Shemia Fagan

"I sponsored the new Buy American law"

— PolitiFact Oregon on Friday, September 12th, 2014

Splitting the difference on Social Security

Jeff Merkley

"Social Security has never contributed one cent to the deficit. Not one cent."

— PolitiFact Oregon on Monday, September 8th, 2014

Would support increase in cigarette tax if one were to pass legislature

Update: Will "support an increase in the cigarette tax" if it is proposed and passes the Legislature

The numbers are right, but causation's nowhere in sight

Anthony Johnson

"We’ve seen highway fatalities actually decrease in Colorado" since marijuana use was legalized.

— PolitiFact Oregon on Friday, August 22nd, 2014

He voted six times, all right

Freedom Partners

Sen. Jeff Merkley "voted six times for more debt."

— PolitiFact Oregon on Friday, August 15th, 2014

Taking a little too much license with the truth

Protect Oregon Driver Licenses

Gov. Kitzhaber oversaw creation of the Oregon driver card law "behind closed doors without allowing any input from citizens who represent the public interest."

— PolitiFact Oregon on Wednesday, August 13th, 2014

When it comes to unemployment, this claim works

Dennis Richardson

"It's been 17 years that we've had unemployment higher than the national average in Oregon."

— PolitiFact Oregon on Monday, August 4th, 2014

There was a Will, but not this way

George Will

Oregon’s "three largest employers, and 13 of the top 25, are health care providers."

— PolitiFact Oregon on Thursday, July 31st, 2014

Just a few words make a world of difference

John Kitzhaber

Oregon "is the most trade-dependent state in the nation"

— PolitiFact Oregon on Friday, July 25th, 2014

Not quite in the basement, but close

Dennis Richardson

"We are 49th in the nation for our graduation rate"

— PolitiFact Oregon on Wednesday, July 23rd, 2014

A pot claim that's higher than it should be

New Approach Oregon

76 percent of doctors support the use of medical marijuana

— PolitiFact Oregon on Tuesday, July 22nd, 2014

A lot of numbers here, but this one is false

New Approach Oregon

In Oregon, 12,808 people were arrested for marijuana-related crimes in 2012.

— PolitiFact Oregon on Friday, July 18th, 2014

The bill failed, but so does the claim

Monica Wehby

The 2011 Rebuild America Jobs Act "would have cost the average American family $1,000 a year while making no significant impact to fix our infrastructure and roads."

— PolitiFact Oregon on Friday, July 11th, 2014

'Vocal support' doesn't equate to cosponsorship

Jeff Merkley

"I co-sponsored the Rebuild America Jobs Act" for transportation and infrastructure.

— PolitiFact Oregon on Friday, July 11th, 2014