200 DAYS, 200 CLAIMS

A Special RNC Research Report On

President Obama's Failed Economic Experiment

View This Research Briefing At GOP.com

To read the full report, visit

Here

RNC Chairman Michael Steele: "It is appropriate on the 200th day of the stimulus to look back at exactly what the stimulus has accomplished. The answer is very little. What it has done, however, is give the American people a $787 billion bill they cannot afford. In this report, you will find 200 claims that President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, senior Administration officials and Congressional Democrats have made about the stimulus. None of these claims match reality." (RNC Research, 200 Days, 200 Claims, 8/31/09)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

On February 17, 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, often referred to as the "stimulus." As members of Congress debated the bill and in the time following its inception, there were countless promises made to the American people regarding exactly what the bill would deliver. The mantra of "jobs, jobs, jobs" was used repeatedly to sell the stimulus. While it's impossible to calculate the number of jobs "created or saved" by the stimulus, we do know that since the stimulus was passed over 2.2 million jobs have been lost nationwide.

As we approach September 4, 2009, the 200th day since the stimulus package was signed into law, the Research Department of the Republican National Committee (RNC) has identified and reviewed 200 of the claims made by the Obama Administration and Congressional Democrats who supported this massive economic experiment. The RNC's research focuses on promises made to the American people on job creation, waste, prevention, targeted spending, transparency, and how the stimulus would bring about an economic recovery. The resulting report, "200 Days, 200 Claims," holds Democrats accountable for their claims that the stimulus was an absolute necessity to "jolt" the economy. They used this and other claims to quickly force through one of the largest spending bills in American history. Now Americans will see how valid those claims are 200 days later.

Among the misleading claims debunked in this report are these oft-repeated and echoed talking points:

• The stimulus would create 3.5 million jobs and starting do so immediately; Instead, over 2.2 million Americans have lost their jobs since the stimulus bill was signed into law.

• The money would be spent carefully, effectively, and transparently; Instead, we have seen the money squandered on such projects as the $18 million overhaul of the Administration's stimulus-promoting website and the GAO has said there is no effective system in place to monitor the spending.

• And, lastly, the stimulus is working as promised and according to plan; Instead, the unemployment rate has far exceeded even the Administration's projection if we did not pass their stimulus bill.

Not surprisingly, the American people are not buying these and other Democrat claims. No wonder a recent USA Today/Gallup poll found that nearly 6 in 10 Americans believe the stimulus is having no impact on the economy and won't help in the years to come. As the reality behind these 200 claims demonstrate, Americans are too smart to be misled.

To read the full report, visit HERE