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FactCheck.org: Sen. Reid Caught Making False Claims About Spending Cuts

Feb. 7, 2013 1:07pm Becket Adams

Sen. Reid Gets Fact Checked Hard on his non Defense Spending Claims

Sen. Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) (Getty Images)

Remember when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said this last week during an interview on ABC’s “This Week” [emphasis added]:

The American people need to understand that it’s not as if we’ve done nothing for the debt. $2.6 trillion, $2.6 trillion already we’ve made in cuts. And all those cuts have come from non-defense programs.

And remember when he repeated himself a little later in the program [emphasis added]: “I repeat: $2.6 trillion already, all coming from non-defense. If we’re going to have a sequester, defense is going to have to do their share.”

As it turns out, Sen. Reid was wrong not once, but twice when he argued that further deficit reduction should focus more on tax increases and cuts in defense spending because Congress has already made significant non-defense spending cuts.

Let’s dig a little deeper into this.

The “legislation he refers to applied to both security and non-security spending. Furthermore, a good chunk of the deficit reduction came from tax increases, not spending cuts,” writes Brooks Jackson for FactCheck.org.

The report continues:

Reid’s $2.6 trillion figure (which covers a 10-year period) has been puffed up a bit since he said on the Senate floor — only three days earlier — “We have already made nearly $2.5 trillion in historic, bipartisan deficit reduction.” Since then, he has added over $100 billion to the 10-year total and started claiming that it’s all from non-defense spending, which is not the case.

Democratic claims of $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction refer not just to spending cuts. For example, President Obama said at a news conference on Jan. 14 that he had signed “a total of about $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the past two years.” But Obama included in that figure only $1.4 trillion in actual “spending cuts.”

Obama’s figure also included more than $600 billion in tax increases on upper-income individuals, which he signed Jan. 3. And it included about $500 billion in reduced interest payments, resulting from reduced future borrowing. A spokesman for Reid, whom we contacted by email, also conceded that Reid’s higher figure includes what he called “tax savings,” by which of course he means higher taxes.

The spending cuts referred to by the president include $1 trillion from the Budget Control Act of 2011 (the “deal” that created the so called “fiscal cliff”), as noted in a Jan. 1 White House “fact sheet.” A spokesman with Sen. Reid later confirmed that the Nevada senator has been relying on the same “spending caps in the BCA.”

However, as FactCheck.org notes, that legislation called for “caps on all ‘discretionary’ spending, including both ‘security’ (a category mostly made up of military spending) and ‘non-security’ spending.”

Getty Images

“The caps on discretionary spending began in fiscal year 2012 and were imposed again this fiscal year. The Obama administration estimates that they will reduce ‘security spending’ by ‘about $420 billion … over the next 10 years compared to CBO baseline levels,’ including about $330 billion ‘specifically from the Department of Defense,’” Brooks notes.

“It’s important to note that the bulk of these ‘cuts’ have yet to materialize. The Budget Control Act imposed ‘caps’ on discretionary spending that Congress is supposed to comply with in future appropriations bills. The White House’s projections of $2.5 trillion in deficit reduction include budgets through fiscal year 2022, and, of course, it remains to be seen what specific cuts to federal programs those future Congresses will actually make,” he adds.

So, yes, Sen. Reid’s claims are not only based on cuts that have “yet to materialize,” but even if said cuts do “materialize,” Congress is still a long, long way away from achieving meaningful deficit reduction.

Remember, the Congressional Budget Office in its latest report said that by FY2023, the debt owed to the public will be about $20 trillion.

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

Featured image courtesy Getty Images.

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Comments (65)

noslave
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 6:38pm
so if you plan to spend 2.6 trillion you dont have????but only spend 1.3 trillion you still dont have ??you cut spending??A CUT IN SPENDING IS NOT SPENDING AS MUCH OF THE MONEY YOU DO HAVE?? WHAT Abunch of flukein morons we put up with,normally you would take them out back an shoot them incompetetant lying bastards.

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EqualJustice
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 6:20pm
Dirty Harry LIED??? Say it isn’t so and call me shocked.

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le misanthrope
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 6:14pm
We don’t need a fact-checker to tell us when Reid is lying. If he is talking he is lying.

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leary1
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 5:51pm
this is omly ONE EXAMPLE OF THE IDIOTS RUNNING THE COUNTRY !!! At this point most of the gov. is acting like a robot for obama. I ACTUALLY THOUGHT WE HAD LAWS, SAFEGUARDS, AND GOV. EMPLOYEES ( that work for us ) TO PREVENT or STOP ( checks & balances) this type of deception, gross abuse of power, overspending, etc…ARE THERE ANY PEOPLE IN POWER THAT HAVE THE COURAGE TO SPEAK-UP????….What is more disturbing is the volume of BRAINDEAD IDIOTS THAT FOLLOW LIKE LOST SHEEP !!!!!!. To witness what in my opinion is a senile,con-man, lawyer REPRESENTING THE DEMOCRAT PARTY………IS BEYOND LAUGHABLE OR INCOMPETANT !! WAKE UP AMERICA.

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elosogrande
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 5:18pm
We have to be perfectly clear. He’s a lying rat who prays that the people who listen to him are as stupid as he is.

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- Anamah
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 5:45pm
  You are exactly right!
  
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- thegreatcarnac
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 8:59pm
  His constituency, the democratic faithful, ARE as stupid as he. Even stupider. They are leftist morons who still are waiting for obama to pay their car note for them.
  
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RaydocX
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 4:47pm
this headline is NO surprise.
the man lies as easily as he breathes. in fact, the only redeeming feature to my knowledge is his bucking the traditional Left line about gun ownership, and there have been some alarming statements in the last week about even that.

I am astonished every time Maddow or Matthews or Morgan or any of my (thankfully few) Left leaning friends whine about the inaction of the GOP, when this man must have a reinforced desk holding all of the legislation he has ‘elected’ not to bring to the Senate floor.

the man who was most vociferous about filibustering when he was in the minority suddenly wants to change the rules to preclude that option for opposition? He apparently forgets that his party is unlikely to hold their majority forever. Another example of a politician I cannot believe was re-elected.

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- WataugaFrost
  Posted on February 20, 2013 at 2:58pm
  Add your comments
  
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- WataugaFrost
  Posted on February 20, 2013 at 3:01pm
  Thats right… I was speechless…. he wasn’t re-elected, he was appointed via fiat votes. I would like to see trials for people like Harry once the truth comes out and then quick sentences.
  
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republic2011
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 4:05pm
Harry Reid lied? Alert the press! Say it isn’t so…

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calebjim
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 3:56pm
Harry Reid, the champion liar of the Senate. If he and the man Obama had a contest in telling lies, there would have to be two awards because both have PHD’s in the field.
The best thing for this country would be when both are gone and forgotten.

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jamestoms
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 3:41pm
Of Course! He’s a professional LIAR, wake up!!!!

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Eastinfection
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 3:31pm
I wish that …

Whatever happened in Harry Reid’s puny brain..
..stayed in Harry Reid’s puny brain.

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pap pap
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 2:37pm
He can lie just as easily as Obama and Piglosi

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DarkJello
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 2:19pm
When karma finally appears, he will beg for a mere crucifixion!!

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blarman
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 2:12pm
This is one thing I wish the media would hold politicians feet to the fire for: claiming spending cuts are the same as not spending the projected increase next year. NO. One is baseline – a starting point that reflects an actual. You can’t just go to the next year expecting a 5% increase in spending and then say that because you only spent 4% that you actually CUT spending! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! You are RAISING spending, just not by as much as you originally WANTED to. That’s like saying you ate a 9 oz steak last year, but because I only ate a 10 oz steak instead of a 12 oz steak this year that I’m “cutting back.” That’s such BS.

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- PALIBERTARIAN
  Posted on February 25, 2013 at 5:03pm
  If we understand that a decrease in the amount you plan to spend in the future DOES NOT constitute a cut. why in the hell can’t these idiots in Washington get it. I say lets throw everyone of them out and bring a fresh batch of thinkers in. I am so sick of hearing who’s to blame for our problems without hearing what can ACTUALLY be done to fix it. It’s time for a change. Let’s look at a third party candidate. We shouldn’t have to choose between the ‘shiniest of two turds’
  
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walnutportconservative
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 2:08pm
What difference does it make?

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- DarkJello
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 2:18pm
  He is telling huge lies. And he is supposed to work for a better America.
  
  If I tell big lies in my marriage, it will end. If I tell big lies in my professional life, I will be fired. If I max out all my lines of credit, I will go bankrupt. Again, he is supposed to improve the country not make it worse. Now do you understand?
  
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mcsledge
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 2:03pm
Reid’s the kind of guy that would gloat about droping our spending such that our borrowing of 40 cents on every dollar spent dropped to 37.5 cents on ever dollar spent. He would call it monumental.

Hey dumb a$$, your still borrowing 37.5 cents on every dollar. That’s not monumental; that’s immoral and criminal.

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pragmaticpatriot
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:55pm
Once in a while you will stumble upon the truth but most of us manage to pick ourselves up and hurry along as if nothing had happened.

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coyote1hell
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:37pm
This lying sac-o’-**** couldn’t get laid in a Nevada Whore-house, with five grand in his hand….

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- naughtycal
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:50pm
  Exactly a false claim might imply he was unaware to the facts of his statement. We know he knows he just lied to the public. So call it what it is a big fat lie from a big corrupt liar.
  
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FlagWavingPatriot
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:31pm
He’s not “making false claims”, he’s LYING.

LYING is the favorite and most effective tactic of this regime.

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- Unbelievable
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:41pm
  It doesn’t matter how much they lie because the MSM will never call them out on it so as far as the un-informed citizen goes these aren’t lies. It’s a perfect tactic.
  
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- cnsrvtvj
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:42pm
  Exactly!!! In my world it’s also called lying.
  
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- shorelineliz
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:44pm
  Look in the dictionary under “false claims” and you will see a picture of Harry Reid.
  
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- naughtycal
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:47pm
  At the time of ATK’s contract award for 450 million rounds last spring, TheBlaze’s Tiffany Gabbay wrote that while this might seem like a lot of ammo, it wasn’t unusual. Gabbay wrote gun experts saying that it was part of a practice by such agencies to spend any budget surplus
  There’s your spending cuts agancies burning up surplus in their budget so they don’t get cuts this year.
  Reids a liar a big fat effing liar, his fellow senators are liars just as coorupt as he is. Our government has no accountability because so much of the media are complissed in this corruption. We don’t only need to exile those corrupt bastards in washington we need to do the same to the quote unquote journalist that have lied throughout to help bury the truth.
  
  Report this comment
- huey6367
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:55pm
  @shorelineliz
  
  I thought that was picture of a sphincter. Hard to tell the difference.
  
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RodT82721
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:29pm
If you happen to pay any attention to the lies from our electe government, you might notice that everything now is projected over at least 10 years. That keeps the numbers up and the low information voter happy that our dear leadere is really taking care of our country.
We hear from the “non-partisan” CBO & OBM, that everything is going to be great in a couple of decades.

Even Republicans, “their budget will balance in 10 years”!
I wonder why not balance it this year? Since you will be spending our money this year, not 1o years from now.
It’s no wonder all those that run our government hate the tea party, Sarah Palin, and Glenn Beck when they happen to mention the truth. No sense giving all those low information voters to much think about.

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jackact
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:27pm
What about wimp Reid’s defense of pervert & criminal-to-be, Bob Menendez?

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IMCHRISTIAN
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:27pm
Does his nose does look longer and his mouth is sure in need of a good washing out with truthfulness. “Truth is the standard of excellence”. Voters think before you chose the next time.

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SpankDaMonkey
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:22pm
.
Harry if you really want to save us some money “Cut your Head Off”…….

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Fubared
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:21pm
Reid a liar? Whoa, that’s bold talk. Mere union cred.

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huey6367
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:21pm
Would you expect him to tell the truth? That is not in Alinsky’s book.

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FISH_BONE
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:20pm
Harry is a vile waste of skin incapable of telling the truth. The people of Nevada should be ashamed of themselves for inflicting this compulsive liar on the rest of us.

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- huey6367
  Posted on February 7, 2013 at 1:53pm
  a lot of people in Nevada formerly lived in CA. Enough said.
  
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- WataugaFrost
  Posted on February 20, 2013 at 3:05pm
  And yet the SNL crew would rather ignore all the rich ground for comedic material from Harry Dweeb, Pelosi, and the champion of mental capacity, Joseph Biden….. Where are the true comedians? ( outside of Washington that is )
  
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