Fact-Checking the Democratic National Convention

Strategic Insights -

The Democratic National Convention's first night was light on numbers to check, but several claims caught our attention. From Social Security checks to the pandemic response team, fact-checkers Glenn Kessler and Salvador Rizzo took a closer look.

Key Takeaways:

  • Only 0.9% of Social Security beneficiaries received checks by mail as of 2019, up from 15% in 2008. This number includes those receiving payments directly deposited into their bank accounts or on a debit card.
  • Governor Andrew Cuomo delayed issuing a shelter-in-place order for New York, resulting in over 6,000 nursing home resident deaths due to COVID-19.
  • Senator Bernie Sanders claimed Joe Biden's plan would reach 100% clean electricity in 15 years, but Biden's actual plan calls for "net-zero emissions no later than 2050."
  • The 30-million figure cited by Sanders for job loss during the early stages of the pandemic is based on jobless claims, but other metrics, such as monthly employment numbers, suggest a lower number of job losses.
  • The Trump administration did not disband the pandemic response team; it was instead reorganized due to disagreements and bureaucratic issues.
  • The National Security Council staff playbook on fighting pandemics, created by the Obama administration, was not completely effective and contained outdated information.

Statistics:

  • 99.1% of Social Security recipients received direct deposits electronically as of 2019. (Source: Social Security Administration)
  • 555,000 Americans received Social Security checks by mail, and 215,000 received Supplemental Security Income (SSI) checks by mail in 2019. (Source: Social Security Administration)
  • 61.5 million people received direct deposit payments either to their bank or a debit card in 2019. (Source: Social Security Administration)
  • Over 6,000 nursing home residents in New York died from COVID-19. (Source: ProPublica)

Sources:

  • Social Security Administration: "Data on Direct Deposit, Debit Cards, and Other Electronic Payment Options for Social Security, SSI, and Other Federal Payments" (2019)
  • ProPublica: "Cuomo's Nightly Briefings: A Timeline" (2020)
  • The Washington Post: "Donald Trump's pandemic response team" (2020)