FACT CHECK: Did Nancy Pelosi Divert $2.2 Billion From Social Security To Andrew Cuomo’s Budget?
An image shared on Facebook claims House Speaker Nancy Pelosi diverted $2.2 billion from Social Security to Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budget.
“This is theft of our money,” reads the caption.
Verdict: False
There is no evidence Pelosi diverted money from Social Security for this purpose. The claim comes from an article published on a satire website.
Fact Check:
Pelosi is often a target of dubious claims on social media. In this case, a Facebook user shared a screen grab of an article alleging that the House speaker diverted $2.2 billion from Social Security to Cuomo’s state budget. (RELATED: Did Nancy Pelosi’s Church Ask Her To Not Come Until She ‘Finds God And Gets Help’?)
“Since the outbreak of the deadly pandemic crisis that’s been running rampant in the United States, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York has been taking every opportunity he can to overshadow President Trump and add his ‘expertise’ to the conversation,” reads the beginning of the article. “His constant, daily beseeching of aid for his especially-hard-hit state has become rote. And now…”
The headline and paragraph lift nearly word-for-word from an article published on Tatersgonnatate.com, a parody news website that describes itself as part of a network that publishes “parody, satire, and tomfoolery.” However, the screen grab being shared on Facebook fails to disclaim the satirical nature of the content, portraying it as real.
This isn’t the first time social media users have made baseless claims about Pelosi diverting Social Security funds. In January, the Daily Caller debunked a Facebook post claiming she had used $2.4 billion from Social Security to cover the costs of impeachment.
Social Security Works Executive Director Alex Lawson told CBS affiliate WUSA that it would be impossible for Pelosi to divert money from Social Security for such a purpose, saying, “The law is really clear here that the premiums that we pay into Social Security can only be used for benefits and the administration of services to provide those benefits.”
