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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Fact-Checking Night 1 of the 2020 Democratic Debates | Fact-Checking Night 1 of the 2020 Democratic Debates |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Ten candidates vying for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination took the stage on Wednesday in Miami for the first of back-to-back debate nights. Another 10 candidates who qualified for the debates will appear on the same stage on Thursday. | Ten candidates vying for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination took the stage on Wednesday in Miami for the first of back-to-back debate nights. Another 10 candidates who qualified for the debates will appear on the same stage on Thursday. |
| Here is how the candidates’ remarks stacked up against the truth. | Here is how the candidates’ remarks stacked up against the truth. |
| Gov. Jay Inslee | Gov. Jay Inslee |
| “I am the only candidate here who has passed a law protecting a woman’s right of reproductive health in health insurance, and I’m the only candidate who has passed a public option. And I respect everybody’s goals and plans here, but we do have one candidate that’s actually advance the ball.” | |
| Mr. Inslee, of Washington, signed a bill into law last year that would require all health insurers to cover abortion if they also cover maternity care. But none of the other candidates onstage would be in a position to pass such a bill because it is a state prerogative. And, as Senator Amy Klobuchar jumped in to point out, many of them — especially the three women onstage — have strong records on protecting abortion rights. | Mr. Inslee, of Washington, signed a bill into law last year that would require all health insurers to cover abortion if they also cover maternity care. But none of the other candidates onstage would be in a position to pass such a bill because it is a state prerogative. And, as Senator Amy Klobuchar jumped in to point out, many of them — especially the three women onstage — have strong records on protecting abortion rights. |
| Representative Tim Ryan | Representative Tim Ryan |
| “The bottom 60 percent haven’t seen a raise since 1980.” | “The bottom 60 percent haven’t seen a raise since 1980.” |
| Mr. Ryan’s general point is that income inequality has been widening, with the wealthiest faring far better over the last 40 years. However, Americans in the bottom income brackets have seen their incomes rise during that period, albeit at a slower rate than those at the top. According to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, from 1979 to 2014, the top 20 percent saw a 101 percent increase in their average incomes. For everyone else, incomes rose by 32 percent. | Mr. Ryan’s general point is that income inequality has been widening, with the wealthiest faring far better over the last 40 years. However, Americans in the bottom income brackets have seen their incomes rise during that period, albeit at a slower rate than those at the top. According to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, from 1979 to 2014, the top 20 percent saw a 101 percent increase in their average incomes. For everyone else, incomes rose by 32 percent. |
| Senator Amy Klobuchar | Senator Amy Klobuchar |
| “I am just simply concerned about kicking half of America off of their health insurance in four years, which is exactly what this bill says.” | “I am just simply concerned about kicking half of America off of their health insurance in four years, which is exactly what this bill says.” |
| Ms. Klobuchar was referring to Senator Bernie Sanders’s bill that would put a Medicare-for-all national health insurance program into effect over a four-year period. His bill would create a universal Medicare program that would cover all Americans — including the roughly half who are currently covered by employer plans — with generous benefits and minimal out-of-pocket costs. Private insurers could offer coverage only for services not covered by the public program, such as cosmetic surgery. | Ms. Klobuchar was referring to Senator Bernie Sanders’s bill that would put a Medicare-for-all national health insurance program into effect over a four-year period. His bill would create a universal Medicare program that would cover all Americans — including the roughly half who are currently covered by employer plans — with generous benefits and minimal out-of-pocket costs. Private insurers could offer coverage only for services not covered by the public program, such as cosmetic surgery. |
| JULIAN CASTRO | JULIAN CASTRO |
| “The reason that they are separating these little children from their families is that they are using Section 1325 of that act, which criminalizes coming across the border to incarcerate the parents and then separate them. Some of us on this stage have called to end that section, to terminate it, some like Congressman O’Rourke have not.” | “The reason that they are separating these little children from their families is that they are using Section 1325 of that act, which criminalizes coming across the border to incarcerate the parents and then separate them. Some of us on this stage have called to end that section, to terminate it, some like Congressman O’Rourke have not.” |
| Section 1325 is the part of the United States Code that criminalizes illegal entry into the country as a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment or fines. Mr. Castro is right that Mr. O’Rourke has opposed repealing the law. | Section 1325 is the part of the United States Code that criminalizes illegal entry into the country as a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment or fines. Mr. Castro is right that Mr. O’Rourke has opposed repealing the law. |
| “In the vast majority of cases, there is no need to incarcerate or to detain migrant families and especially children,” Mr. O’Rourke said in June on CNN. “But if somebody is attempting to smuggle human beings into the United States, if they are attempting to cross illegal drugs into this country, I want to make sure that we have the legal mechanism necessary to hold them accountable and to detain them to make sure they do not pose a threat to this country or to our communities.” | “In the vast majority of cases, there is no need to incarcerate or to detain migrant families and especially children,” Mr. O’Rourke said in June on CNN. “But if somebody is attempting to smuggle human beings into the United States, if they are attempting to cross illegal drugs into this country, I want to make sure that we have the legal mechanism necessary to hold them accountable and to detain them to make sure they do not pose a threat to this country or to our communities.” |
| “I do not think that it should be repealed,” Mr. O’Rourke continued. | “I do not think that it should be repealed,” Mr. O’Rourke continued. |
| Senator Cory Booker | Senator Cory Booker |
| “I will single out companies like Halliburton or Amazon that pay nothing in taxes.” | “I will single out companies like Halliburton or Amazon that pay nothing in taxes.” |
| Amazon paid no federal income taxes in 2018. It does, however, pay state taxes, and it does not always come away with a tax bill of zero. The company said in April that it paid $2.6 billion in corporate taxes over the past three years. Halliburton’s tax bills also swing in both directions. For instance, in January 2018, it was hit by an $882 million tax charge related to changes in the tax law. | Amazon paid no federal income taxes in 2018. It does, however, pay state taxes, and it does not always come away with a tax bill of zero. The company said in April that it paid $2.6 billion in corporate taxes over the past three years. Halliburton’s tax bills also swing in both directions. For instance, in January 2018, it was hit by an $882 million tax charge related to changes in the tax law. |
| Beto O’Rourke | Beto O’Rourke |
| “And yet despite what Purdue Pharma has done, their connection to the opioid crisis and the overdose deaths that we’re seeing throughout this country, they have been able to act with complete impunity and pay no consequences.” | “And yet despite what Purdue Pharma has done, their connection to the opioid crisis and the overdose deaths that we’re seeing throughout this country, they have been able to act with complete impunity and pay no consequences.” |
| It’s true that no one from the company has gone to jail, but Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, is facing lawsuits around the country and recently paid a $270 million settlement in Oklahoma. In 2007, three of the company’s executives pleaded guilty as individuals to misbranding, a criminal violation. | It’s true that no one from the company has gone to jail, but Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, is facing lawsuits around the country and recently paid a $270 million settlement in Oklahoma. In 2007, three of the company’s executives pleaded guilty as individuals to misbranding, a criminal violation. |
| Fact-checks by Alan Rappeport, Stephanie Saul, Linda Qiu and Abby Goodnough. | Fact-checks by Alan Rappeport, Stephanie Saul, Linda Qiu and Abby Goodnough. |