AP FACT CHECK: Trump’s empty boasts on air safety, vets, EPA
The president ignored fatality-free years in aviation during the Obama administration when he declared 2017 the safest year on record and suggested that was because he's kept a sharp eye on airlines.
He represented routine and ceremonial proclamations recognizing a day in remembrance of
And his
Here's a look:
TRUMP: "Since taking office I have been very strict on
THE FACTS: It's been 4½ years since the last deaths involving a scheduled passenger airline in the
Last year was notable for having no commercial passenger jet deaths worldwide, although there were two fatal regional airline crashes involving small turboprop planes in
What's Trump got to do with any of this?
His administration has instituted additional screening of passengers and their personal electronic devices at foreign airports with flights to the
The
TRUMP: "We will not rest until all of America's GREAT VETERANS can receive the care they so richly deserve. Tremendous progress has been made in a short period of time." — tweet Tuesday, with an Instagram link showing eight accomplishments where Trump is "fighting for our veterans."
THE FACTS: The video with catchy music overstates the impact of these steps. Of the eight achievements cited, two are ceremonial proclamations — National Veterans and Military Families Month and National Pearl Harbor
Two are pieces of legislation that extended a troubled Veterans Choice program on a temporary basis. This became necessary because the Trump administration repeatedly miscalculated the amount of taxpayer dollars available in its account to pay for care from private doctors outside the
A fifth claim involves "tele-health," letting doctors practice medicine across state lines using digital technology. Announced in August, it has yet to take full effect because a proposed
A sixth claim refers to legislation that streamlines the appeals process for disability compensation claims within the
The other two initiatives he listed make it easier for the
EPA Administrator
THE FACTS: This is a case of people taking credit for other people's work.
The EPA removed seven Superfund sites from its priority list last year, compared with two sites delisted the year before. But records show that construction work at all seven sites hyped by Pruitt's EPA, such as removing soil or drilling wells to suck out contaminated groundwater, was completed years before Pruitt was confirmed as the agency's chief in February. Removing sites from the list is a procedural step that occurs after monitoring data show that remaining levels of harmful contaminates meet cleanup targets, which were often set by EPA decades ago.
An analysis of EPA records by The Associated Press shows that the seven Superfund sites delisted last year fell short of the average pace set under both the administrations of Obama and
Trump's proposed 2018 budget seeks to cut the Superfund program by 30 percent. More than 1,300 Superfund sites on
EDITOR'S NOTE _ A look at the veracity of claims by political figures
Wisconsin College Savings Program Surpasses $5 Billion Mark
Medicare cuts payment to Meadville Medical Center for 2018
Advisor News
Annuity News
Health/Employee Benefits News
Life Insurance News