FACT CHECK: Did Ocasio-Cortez And Omar Vow To Take Benefits Away From Seniors?

Elias Atienza | Senior Reporter

An image shared on Facebook claims that Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar have vowed to take benefits like Social Security and Medicare away from senior citizens.

Verdict: False

The Daily Caller found no evidence Ocasio-Cortez or Omar ever called for such action. The claim actually comes from an article published on a satire website.

Fact Check:

Ocasio-Cortez and Omar have become popular targets for fake news since their respective elections to Congress in 2018. This particular meme purports that the freshman congresswomen have promised to take benefits away from senior citizens. (RELATED: Did Ilhan Omar Say, ‘Trump Is Taking Benefits Away From Black Americans By Giving Them Jobs’?)

“Ocasio-Cortez And Omar Vow To Remove Senior’s ‘Entitlements,’ Social Security/Medicare Calling seniors dead weight!” reads the Facebook image.

However, no credible sources have linked Ocasio-Cortez or Omar to policy proposals of this nature. Such a vow does not appear on either of their Twitter accounts or ProPublica’s archive of their deleted tweets. The congressional record has no account of either proposing the cuts either.

In fact, both congresswomen have actually called for “Medicare for All,” a single-payer, government-run health insurance program that would cover all Americans. Ocasio-Cortez also recently released a video calling for the House to vote on a bill that would expand Social Security benefits.

The claim may originate with a satirical article published on Daily World Update, a parody news website that describes itself as part of a network that publishes “parody, satire, and tomfoolery.”

Though Daily World Update has a disclaimer noting that it’s a satire website, the meme shared on Facebook not only fails to issue a similar warning, it deceptively insists that the claim is real.

Elias Atienza

Senior Reporter
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