Promises Made, Promises Broken: Long Island Edition

Four Years Ago At Hofstra University, Obama Made Numerous Promises He’s Failed To Keep

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CRACKING DOWN ON CHINA’S UNFAIR TRADE PRACTICES

PROMISE: Obama Said He Would Label China A Currency Manipulator

Obama Promised To Enforce The Rules Against Chinese Currency Manipulation.OBAMA: “In the same way that we should enforce rules against China manipulating its currency to make our exports more expensive and their exports to us cheaper.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

BROKEN: Obama Said Labeling China A Currency Manipulator Would Have No Effect And That He Didn’t Want To “Embarrass” China

Asked About China’s Currency Manipulation And Unfair Trade Practices, Obama Said That He Did Not Want To “Embarrass” China. “President Barack Obama, addressing questions Wednesday about China’s alleged trade abuses and currency manipulation, said the United States must push back against unfair practices but not ‘go out of our way to embarrass’ the country. Doing so would risk ‘an all-out trade war,’ Obama told The Plain Dealer in an exclusive interview.” (Henry Gomez, “President Barack Obama Warns Against Embarrassing China On Trade Complaints: Plain Dealer Interview,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, 9/27/12)

Obama Claimed That Labeling China As A Currency Manipulator Would Have No Effect On Their Trade Practices. “Asked if the tag would present the embarrassment he is hoping to spare China, Obama suggested that the designation would accomplish little. ‘They’d have to push back, and there’s no automatic trigger that results from it,’ Obama said. ‘So the only thing that happens is we then have to go back and negotiate with them. The key here is just constant pressure, and that’s what we’ve applied in a much more aggressive way than the previous administration.'” (Henry Gomez, “President Barack Obama Warns Against Embarrassing China On Trade Complaints: Plain Dealer Interview,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, 9/27/12)

The Treasury Department Said That China “Did Not Meet The Definition Of A Currency Manipulator Under Its Standards.” “The Treasury Department on Friday once again declined to name China a currency manipulator despite bipartisan calls for action from Congress. Treasury noted that China’s currency has appreciated against the dollar since June 2010, and said it did not meet the definition of a currency manipulator under its standards.” (Julian Pecquet, “Treasury: China Not Manipulating Currency,”The Hill, 5/25/12)

• Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH): “Once Again, The U.S. Treasury Department Has Given China A Free Pass When It Comes To Its Currency Manipulation.” “‘Once again, the U.S. Treasury Department has given China a free pass when it comes to its currency manipulation,’ Brown said. ‘While we’re seeing American manufacturing rebound, China is stepping up its efforts in a number of critical sectors, including clean and solar energy, advanced manufacturing, and auto parts. Addressing China’s currency manipulation is critical to our economic recovery and for job gains, and despite wide bipartisan support in the Senate for legislation that tackles this issue, the U.S. House has failed to act. Speaker Boehner should bring the Currency Exchange and Oversight Reform Act to the floor as soon as possible.'” (Press Release, “Treasury Giving China A ‘Free Pass’ On Currency Manipulation,” Senator Sherrod Brown, 5/25/12)
• Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY): “The Administration Continues To Let China Get Away With Flouting Trade Rules Just For The Sake Of Diplomacy.” “Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has been sponsored legislation that would punish Chinese imports for the undervalued currency, also criticized the administration’s report. ‘The administration continues to let China get away with flouting trade rules just for the sake of diplomacy. Calling out China as a manipulator may be awkward, but it is time to take off the kid glove,’ he said in a statement. ‘With the administration continuing to balk on this, it’s up to Congress to act. The Senate has passed bipartisan legislation to confront China and stand up for American workers, and Speaker Boehner needs to stop sitting on it and give it a vote.'” (Julian Pecquet, “Treasury: China Not Manipulating Currency,” The Hill, 5/25/12)

Once In Office, Obama Retreated From His “Tough Talk” On The Campaign Trail And Decided Not To Label China A Currency Manipulator. “The Treasury Department on Wednesday declined to label China a currency manipulator, retreating from tough talk last year when a campaigning Barack Obama said Beijing had kept its currency’s exchange rate unfairly low.” (Glenn Somerville and Doug Palmer, “U.S. Again Declines To Brand China Currency Manipulator,” Reuters, 4/25/09)

The Washington Post: “China’s Policy Has Probably Cost Americans Hundreds Of Thousands Of Jobs And Contributed To China’s Destabilizing Pile Of Trillions Of Dollars In Reserves.” “China’s undervalued renminbi is a long-standing, bipartisan concern, and it is not a phony one: In pursuit of growth led by exports, China has held the renminbi down in relation to the dollar, rendering its goods artificially cheap in the U.S. market. The renminbi would gain about 20 percent against the dollar if it were allowed to float freely like other currencies, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics. China’s policy has probably cost Americans hundreds of thousands of jobs and contributed to China’s destabilizing pile of trillions of dollars in reserves.” (Editorial, “Breaking China? Last Thing Needed Is A Trade War,” The Washington Post, 9/1/11)

• Obama’s Failure To Confront China Cost The United States 450,000 Jobs From 2008 To 2010. “American jobs have been shifting to low-wage countries for years, and the trend has continued during Obama’s presidency. From 2008 to 2010, U.S. trade with China alone cost about 450,000 American jobs because of the growth of Chinese exports, said Robert E. Scott, a pro-labor advocate at the liberal Economic Policy Institute. That figure was less than in previous years, but the decrease was probably tied to the U.S. economic slowdown, which crimped demand for imports. ‘I think he has walked away from the campaign commitments,’ said Scott, the institute’s director of trade and manufacturing policy research. ‘He has done far too little to improve U.S. trade.'” (Tom Hamburger, Carol D. Leonnig and Zachary A. Goldfarb, “Obama’s Record On Outsourcing Draws Criticism From The Left,” The Washington Post, 7/9/12)

Obama’s Treasury Department Delayed Release Of Currency Report That Could Have Branded China A Currency Manipulator, Making It “Unlikely The Report Will Be Released Before The U.S. Presidential Election On November 6.” “The U.S. Treasury on Friday said it would delay a semi-annual currency report until after a meeting of the Group of 20 finance ministers in Mexico on November 4-5, which makes it unlikely the report will be released before the U.S. presidential election on November 6.” (“Romney Hits Obama On China Policies,” Reuters, 10/13/12)

TAX INCREASES

PROMISE: Obama Promised That Those Making Less Than $250,000 Would Not See “One Dime” of Tax Increases

Obama Promised That Families Making Less Than $250,000 A Year Will Not See “One Dime” Of Tax Increases. OBAMA: “What I’ve said is I want to provide a tax cut for 95 percent of working Americans, 95 percent. If you make more — if you make less than a quarter million dollars a year, then you will not see your income tax go up, your capital gains tax go up, your payroll tax. Not one dime .” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

BROKEN: Obama Broke His Middle Class Tax Promise

PolitiFact Rates Obama’s Tax Pledge As “Promise Broken.” “We were willing to give President Barack Obama a Compromise rating on this promise when a new cigarette tax went into effect. But the latest health care bill includes more broad-based taxes that are pushing us toward Promise Broken.” (Angie Drobnic Holan, “Smokers, Tanning Aficionados, The Happily Uninsured: More Taxes Coming At Ya!,” PolitiFact, 4/8/10)

The Wall Street Journal: “Obama Has Imposed The Largest Tax Increase In History On The Middle Class.” “It is now undeniable that Mr. Obama has imposed the largest tax increase in history on the middle class. Individuals who don’t buy insurance will have to pay several hundred dollars, depending on income. The Congressional Budget Office says that 76% of those who pay the mandate tax will make less than 500% of the federal poverty level, estimated to be $24,000 for a family of four in 2016. That means 76% of the payers will earn less than $120,000 a year.” (Editorial, “It’s Up To The Voters Now,” The Wall Street Journal, 6/28/12)

“80 Percent Of Those Who’ll Face The Penalty Would Be Making Up To Or Less Than Five Times The Federal Poverty Level.” “And the budget office analysis found that nearly 80 percent of those who’ll face the penalty would be making up to or less than five times the federal poverty level. Currently that would work out to $55,850 or less for an individual and $115,250 or less for a family of four.” (Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, “Tax Penalty To Hit Nearly 6M Uninsured People,” The Associated Press, 9/20/12)

The Joint Committee On Taxation Report Found That The ObamaCare Tax Will Hit Middle-Class Americans. “There are a number of tax provisions in the health care bill that may directly increase taxes on some individuals and families earning less than $200,000 and $250,000 per year.” (Joint Committee On Taxation, Letter To Senator Tom Coburn, 3/20/12)

Non-Partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO): “6 Million People Will Pay A Penalty Because They Are Uninsured In 2016.” “After accounting for those who will not be subject to the penalty tax, CBO and JCT now estimate that about 6 million people will pay a penalty because they are uninsured in 2016 (a figure that includes uninsured dependents who have the penalty paid on their behalf) and that total collections will be about $7 billion in 2016 and average about $8 billion per year over the 2017-2022 period.” (“Payments Of Penalties For Being Uninsured Under The Affordable Care Act,” Congressional Budget Office, 9/19/12)

CBO: In 2016, 4.7 Million Americans Who Live In Families That Earn Up To $123,000 Annually Will Be Subjected To The Obamacare Tax. (“Payments Of Penalties For Being Uninsured Under The Affordable Care Act,” Congressional Budget Office, 9/12)

FISCAL DISCIPLINE

PROMISE: Obama Promised A Net Spending Cut By Going “Line By Line” Through The Federal Budget And Eliminating Programs That Don’t Work

Obama Promised A Net Spending Cut. OBAMA: “Now, what I’ve done throughout this campaign is to propose a net spending cut.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

Obama Claimed He Would Match Every Dollar Of Spending With An Additional Cut.OBAMA: “Every dollar that I’ve proposed, I’ve proposed an additional cut so that it matches.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

Obama Promised To Go Through The Federal “Budget Line By Line, Page By Page” And “Eliminate A Whole Host Of Programs That Don’t Work.” OBAMA: “We need to eliminate a whole host of programs that don’t work. And I want to go through the federal budget line by line, page by page, programs that don’t work, we should cut. Programs that we need, we should make them work better.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

BROKEN: Obama Racked Up Four Consecutive Trillion Dollar Deficits And Increased Spending By 20 Percent

“This Is The Fourth Straight Year That The Deficit Will Exceed One Trillion Dollars, All Under President Obama.” (Erik Wasson, “CBO Says 2012 Deficit Has Reached $1.17T,”The Hill, 9/10/12)

• Obama Had Already Racked Up The Three Largest Deficits In U.S. History. “The U.S budget deficit for fiscal year 2011 is $1.299 trillion, the second largest shortfall in history. The nation only ran a larger deficit for the 2009 fiscal year, which included the dramatic collapse of financial markets and a huge bailout effort by the government.” (Erik Wasson, “Treasury Announces 2011 Deficit Is Second Highest In History,” The Hill‘s “On The Money”, 10/14/11)

The CBO Estimates That The Federal Budget Deficit Was About $1.1 Trillion In Fiscal Year 2012. (“Monthly Budget Review: Fiscal Year 2012,” Congressional Budget Office, 10/5/12)

• FY2009: The Federal Budget Deficit Was $1.413 Trillion, The Highest In U.S. History. (“Monthly Budget Review: November 2011,” Congressional Budget Office, 11/7/11)
• FY2010: The Federal Budget Deficit Was $1.294 Trillion, The Third Highest In U.S. History. (“Monthly Budget Review: November 2011,” Congressional Budget Office, 11/7/11)
• FY2011: The Federal Budget Deficit Was $1.299 Trillion, The Second Highest In U.S. History. (“Monthly Budget Review: November 2011,” Congressional Budget Office, 11/7/11)

Federal Outlays Have Increased By 20.4 Percent Since Obama Took Office. The federal government spent $3.1 trillion in FY2008 in inflation adjusted dollars. Under Obama, in FY2012 the federal government spent $3.8 trillion dollars.(“Table 1.3 – Summary Of Receipts, Outlays And Surpluses Or Deficits In Current Dollars, Constant (FY2005) Dollars, And As Percentages Of GDP: 1940-2016,” Office Of Management And Budget, Accessed 5/16/12; “Budget Of The United States Government, Fiscal Year 2013,” Office Of Management And Budget, 2/13/12)

• Obama Proposed FY2013 Budget Calls For Increasing Government Spending Well Above Historical Norms. From 1969 To 2008 The Federal Government Spent An Average Of 20.6 Percent Of GDP, Obama’s Proposed FY2013 Budget Calls For Spending 22.8 Percent Of GDP By FY2022. (“Table 1.2 – Summary Of Receipts, Outlays And Surpluses Or Deficits As Percentages Of GDP: 1930-2016,” Office Of Management And Budget, Accessed 5/16/12; “Budget Of The United States Government, Fiscal Year 2013,” Office Of Management And Budget, 2/13/12)

“Government Spending As A Share Of The Economy Has Hovered Around 24% During The Obama Administration…Elevated From The Historical Average Of 20.7% Over The Past 40 Years.” “Government spending as a share of the economy has hovered around 24% during the Obama administration, several percentage points higher than under President Bush, according to Congressional Budget Office data. It’s also elevated from the historical average of 20.7% over the past 40 years.” (Tami Luhby, “Did Obama Really Make Government Bigger?” CNN Money, 1/25/12)

The Washington Post ‘s Fact Checker: Obama’s Spending “Has Hit Highs Not Seen Since The End Of World War II – Completely The Opposite Of The Point Asserted By Carney.” “In the post-war era, federal spending as a percentage of the U.S. economy has hovered around 20 percent, give or take a couple of percentage points. Under Obama, it has hit highs not seen since the end of World War II – completely the opposite of the point asserted by Carney. Part of this, of course, is a consequence of the recession, but it is also the result of a sustained higher level of spending.”(Glenn Kessler, “The Facts About The Growth Of Spending Under Obama,” The Washington Post’s The Fact Checker, 5/25/12)

• Politifact: “As A Percentage Of Gross Domestic Product … Discretionary Spending Under Obama Reached Its Highest Level In About Two Decades …”“As a percentage of gross domestic product — which is a measure of the nation’s economy — discretionary spending under Obama reached its highest level in about two decades, according to figures released by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget.” (Bill Wichert, “Cory Booker Claims Obama Has Overseen Nation’s ‘Lowest Discretionary Spending We’ve Had In Decades’,” Politifact, 5/28/12)

PROMISE: Obama Said That Washington Would Set An Example For The American People About How To Manage Their Budgets And Borrow Responsibly

Obama Warned That “We’re Not Going to Be Able To Go Back To Our Profligate Ways” And Should “Embrace A Culture And Ethic Of Responsibility.” OBAMA: “But what is absolutely true is that, once we get through this economic crisis and some of the specific proposals to get us out of this slump, that we’re not going to be able to go back to our profligate ways. And we’re going to have to embrace a culture and an ethic of responsibility, all of us, corporations, the federal government, and individuals out there who may be living beyond their means.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

BROKEN: Obama Has Racked Up More Debt Than Any Other President

The National Debt Is Now $16.2 Trillion Dollars. (US Department Of The Treasury,TreasuryDirect.gov, Accessed 10/15/12)

Since Obama Took Office, The National Debt Has Risen By $5.5 Trillion, An Increase Of Over 52 Percent. (US Department Of The Treasury, TreasuryDirect.gov, Accessed 10/15/12)

Obama Is “The Undisputed Debt King Of The Last Five Presidents.” “So by this measurement — potentially a more important one — Obama is the undisputed debt king of the last five presidents, rather than the guy who added a piddling amount to the debt, as Pelosi’s chart suggested.” (“Nancy Pelosi Post Questionable Chart On Debt Accumulation By Barack Obama, Predecessors,” Politifact, 5/19/11)

• Obama Is Responsible For “The Most Rapid Increase In The Debt Under Any U.S. President.” “The latest posting by the Treasury Department shows the national debt has now increased $4 trillion on President Obama’s watch. The debt was $10.626 trillion on the day Mr. Obama took office. The latest calculation from Treasury shows the debt has now hit $14.639 trillion. It’s the most rapid increase in the debt under any U.S. president.” (Mark Knoller, “National Debt Has Increased $4 Trillion Under Obama,” CBS News, 8/22/11)

HEALTH CARE COSTS

PROMISE: Obama Said His Health Care Plan Would Lower Premiums By $2,500 A Year

Obama Said ObamaCare Would “Cut The Average Family’s Premium By About $2,500 A Year.” OBAMA: “The only thing we’re going to try to do is lower costs so that those cost savings are passed onto you. And we estimate we can cut the average family’s premium by about $2,500 per year.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

Obama: “All I want to do, if you’ve already got health care, is lower your costs. That includes you, Joe.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

BROKEN: ObamaCare Is Actually Making Health Care “Less Affordable”

Under Obama, The Average Cost Of Family Health Care Premiums Has Increased By $3,065 From $12,680 To $15,745, A 24.2 Percent Increase. (“Employer Health Benefits, 2012 Annual Survey, Exhibit 6.4,” The Kaiser Family Foundation, 2012)

• Under Obama, Families Pay An Average Of $255 More On Monthly Health Care Premiums. (“Employer Health Benefits; 2012 Annual Survey,” The Kaiser Family Foundation, 9/11/12; “Employer Health Benefits; 2008 Annual Survey,” The Kaiser Family Foundation, 9/24/08)
• Under Obama, Americans Pay An Average Of $76 More On Monthly Health Care Premiums. (“Employer Health Benefits; 2012 Annual Survey,” The Kaiser Family Foundation, 9/11/12; “Employer Health Benefits; 2008 Annual Survey,” The Kaiser Family Foundation, 9/24/08)

FactCheck.org: ObamaCare “Falls Short Of Making Health Care ‘Affordable And Available To Every Single American,’ As Promised.” “Furthermore, the law falls short of making health care ‘affordable and available to every single American,’ as promised. The law provides subsidies to help some Americans buy insurance, expands Medicaid and doesn’t allow insurance companies to exclude persons with preexisting conditions. But still, the director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office projected 23 million persons will remain uninsured – some because they can’t afford coverage.” (D’Angelo Gore, “Promises, Promises,” FactCheck.org, 1/4/12)

• FactCheck.org: ObamaCare Is Actually Making Health Care “Less Affordable.”“At the moment, the new law is making health care slightly less affordable. Independent health care experts say the law has caused some insurance premiums to rise. As we wrote in October, the new law has caused about a 1 percent to 3 percent increase in health insurance premiums for employer-sponsored family plans because of requirements for increased benefits. Last year’s premium increases cast even more doubt on another promise the president has made – that the health care law would ‘lower premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year.'” (D’Angelo Gore, “Promises, Promises,” FactCheck.org, 1/4/12)

PROMISE: Obama Promised That If You Liked Your Health Care Plan, You Could Keep It

Obama Said Under His Plan, “If You’ve Got An Employer-Based Health Care Plan, You Keep It.” OBAMA: “Very briefly. You all just heard my plan. If you’ve got an employer-based health care plan, you keep it. Now, under Senator McCain’s plan there is a strong risk that people would lose their employer-based health care. That’s the choice you’ll have is having your employer no longer provide you health care. And don’t take my word for it. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which generally doesn’t support a lot of Democrats, said that this plan could lead to the unraveling of the employer-based health care system.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

BROKEN: The Congressional Budget Office Found That ObamaCare Could Cause As Many As 20 Million Americans To Lose Their Employer-Provided Health Care Plan

Americans Are Finding Out That Obama’s “Keep Your Plan” Promise Is Just Not True.“President Barack Obama promised over and over during the health care debate that ‘if you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan.’ It turns out that, for a lot of people, that isn’t true.” (David Nather, “4 Hard Truths Of Health Care Reform,” Politico, 3/16/12)

More Americans Will Lose Their Employer Health Care Coverage Than Before ObamaCare Was Enacted. “For one thing, CBO says 11 million Americans won’t get employment-based health insurance they would have had before the law – so they will be forced out (technically by their employer, not by the president, but the context will be the changes brought about by the health law). Another 9 million would gain coverage – but everyone who loses it will see their lives disrupted, and it will be used as more evidence of broken Obama promises.” (David Nather, “4 Hard Truths Of Health Care Reform,” Politico, 3/16/12)

• Medicare Chief Actuary Richard Foster Said That It Was “Not True In All Cases” That People Would Be Able To Keep Their Coverage If They Wanted To. “Foster was asked by Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., for a simple true or false response on two of the main assertions made by supporters of the law: that it will bring down unsustainable medical costs and will let people keep their current health insurance if they like it. On the costs issue, ‘I would say false, more so than true,’ Foster responded. As for people getting to keep their coverage, ‘not true in all cases.'” (“Medicare Official Doubts Health Care Law Savings,” The Associated Press,1/26/11)
• Congressional Budget Office Found That ObamaCare Could Cause As Many As 20 Million Americans To Lose Their Employer-Provided Health Care Plan. “As many as 20 million Americans could lose their employer-provided healthcare because of President Obama’s healthcare reform law, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said in a new report Thursday.” (Julian Pecquet, “CBO: Millions Of Americans Could Lose Their Employer Coverage,” The Hill’s Health Watch, 3/15/12)

PROMISE: Obama Said Small Business Owners Would Not Be Penalized If They Were Unable To Provide Health Insurance

Obama Said Small Business Owners Unable To Provide Health Insurance To Employees Would Not Be Penalized Under His Plan. OBAMA: “I just described what my plan is. And I’m happy to talk to you, Joe, too, if you’re out there. Here’s your fine — zero. You won’t pay a fine, because…” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

BROKEN: Any Small Business With More Than 50 Employees That Is Unable To Provide Health Insurance Must Pay A $2,000 Fine Per Employee

ObamaCare’s “Complex Rules” And Regulations Requiring Small Businesses To Provide “Essential” Health Benefits Insurance Plans Increases Costs And Prevents Small Businesses From Expanding. “The new law requires most businesses to provide a generous ‘essential’ package of benefits, which is beyond what many small businesses provide today. It subjects businesses to highly complex rules that increase the cost risk, and ‘hassle factor’ of adding payrolls. Companies that do offer insurance can be fined if low-income employees take a government-subsidized plan. All firms with more than 50 workers must provide benefits, which creates an incentive for smaller firms to stay ‘under the limit’ by expanding overseas, outsourcing, or dividing into two companies.”(UBS, “Great Suppression II,” UBS Investment Research, 9/19/11)

Under ObamaCare, Businesses Employing More Than 50 Employees Will Be Subjected To A $2,000 Fine. “Assesses a fee of $2,000 per full-time employee, excluding the first 30 employees, on employers with more than 50 employees that do not offer coverage and have at least one full-time employee who receives a premium tax credit. Employers with more than 50 employees that offer coverage but have at least one full-time employee receiving a premium tax credit, will pay the lesser of $3,000 for each employee receiving a premium credit or $2,000 for each full-time employee, excluding the first 30 employees.” (Kaiser Family Foundation, “Implementation Timeline,” KFF.org, Accessed 10/15/12)

ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

PROMISE: Obama Promised To Free The Nation From Foreign Oil In 10 Years

Obama Said That “In Ten Years, We Can Reduce Our Dependence So That We No Longer Have To Import Oil From The Middle East Or Venezuela.” OBAMA: “I think that in ten years, we can reduce our dependence so that we no longer have to import oil from the Middle East or Venezuela. I think that’s about a realistic timeframe.” (Sen. Barack Obama,Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

• Obama Said Borrowing From China To Buy Oil From Saudi Arabia Was “Mortgaging Our Children’s Future.” OBAMA: “But nothing is more important than us no longer borrowing $700 billion or more from China and sending it to Saudi Arabia. It’s mortgaging our children’s future.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

BROKEN: Obama Has Admitted That He Doesn’t Have An Energy Policy In Place That Can Free Us From Dependence On Foreign Oil

Obama In His Own Words: “We Still Don’t Have All The Energy Policies In Place That We Need To Free Ourselves From Dependence On Foreign Oil And Adequately Deal With Climate Change.” “We still don’t have all the energy policies in place that we need to free ourselves from dependence on foreign oil and adequately deal with climate change, despite the fact that we’ve doubled fuel economy standards on cars and made enormous progress on clean energy — and that means that I’m going to need another term to finish the job.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks At Campaign Event, New York, NY, 11/30/11)

• Obama In His Own Words: “We Haven’t Had An Energy Policy In This Country That Makes Sense And Frees Ourselves From Dependence On Foreign Oil.”(President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President On The American Jobs Act, Millers Creek, NC, 10/17/11)
• FactCheck.org: “[T]he U.S. Is Still A Long Way From Being Free Of The ‘Tyranny Of Oil Once And For All,’ As Obama Said.” (D’Angelo Gore, “Promises, Promises,”FactCheck.org, 1/4/12)

“The United States Is Increasing Its Dependence On Oil From Saudi Arabia, Raising Its Imports From The Kingdom By More Than 20 Percent This Year …” “The United States is increasing its dependence on oil from Saudi Arabia, raising its imports from the kingdom by more than 20 percent this year, even as fears of military conflict in the tinderbox Persian Gulf region grow. The increase in Saudi oil exports to the United States began slowly last summer and has picked up pace this year. Until then, the United States had decreased its dependence on foreign oil and from the Gulf in particular.” (Clifford Krauss, “U.S. Reliance On Oil From Saudi Arabia Is Growing Again,” The New York Times, 8/17/12)

Under Obama, The U.S. Remains Venezuela’s Biggest Oil-Trading Partner. “[W]hile the U.S. remains Venezuela’s biggest oil-trading partner since Obama said changing that relationship was crucial for the sake of our economy, our security and the future of our planet.'” (Darren Samuelsohn, “Obama’s Slippery Foreign Oil Promise,” Politico, 10/14/12)

PROMISE: Obama Promised To Expand Domestic Production

Obama Promised To Expand Domestic Production of Oil And Gas And Make Sure Companies Drill On The 68 Million Acres They Had Leased. OBAMA: “Number one, we do need to expand domestic production and that means, for example, telling the oil companies the 68 million acres that they currently have leased that they’re not drilling, use them or lose them. And I think that we should look at offshore drilling and implement it in a way that allows us to get some additional oil. But understand, we only have three to four percent of the world’s oil reserves and we use 25 percent of the world’s oil, which means that we can’t drill our way out of the problem.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

BROKEN: Drilling Permits Under Obama Administration Lower Than Historical Average

Federal Issued Drilling Permits Under The Obama Administration Are Lower Than The Historical Average. “In early 2010, he proposed to open some new areas to drilling but shut that down after the Gulf oil spill. According to the Greater New Orleans Gulf Permits Index for January 31, over the previous three months the feds issued an average of three deep-water drilling permits a month compared to the historical average of seven. Over the same three months, the feds approved an average of 4.7 shallow-water permits a month, compared to the historical average of 14.7.” (Editorial, “‘Stupid’ And Oil Prices,” The Wall Street Journal, 2/27/12)

• In Fiscal Year 2007, There Were 7,124 Approved Drilling Permits On Federal Lands. (Number Of APDs Approved By Year On Federal Lands, U.S. Bureau Of Land Management, Accessed 10/2/12)
• In Fiscal Year 2008, There Were 6,617 Approved Drilling Permits On Federal Lands. (Number Of APDs Approved By Year On Federal Lands, U.S. Bureau Of Land Management, Accessed 10/2/12)
• In Fiscal Year 2009, There Were 4,487 Approved Drilling Permits On Federal Lands. (Number Of APDs Approved By Year On Federal Lands, U.S. Bureau Of Land Management, Accessed 10/2/12)
• In Fiscal Year 2010, There Were 4,090 Approved Drilling Permits On Federal Lands. (Number Of APDs Approved By Year On Federal Lands, U.S. Bureau Of Land Management, Accessed 10/2/12)
• In Fiscal Year 2011, There Were 4,244 Approved Drilling Permits On Federal Lands. (Number Of APDs Approved By Year On Federal Lands, U.S. Bureau Of Land Management, Accessed 10/2/12)

While Domestic Oil Production Is At An All-Time High, Production On Federal Lands And Waters Has Dropped Significantly In 2011. “Domestic oil production may be at an all-time high nationwide, but the increase is primarily occurring on state and private lands rather than on federal land and waters, where production appears to have dropped significantly in 2011, according to the most recent government data.” (Phil Taylor, “Production On Federal Tracts Fell In 2011,” Greenwire, 2/27/12)

“About 96% Of The Increase Since 2007 Took Place On Non-Federal Lands, But The Federal Share Of Total U.S. Production Only Fell By About Two Percentage Points.”(Marc Humphries, “U.S. Crude Oil Production In Federal And Non-Federal Areas,” Congressional Research Service, 3/20/12)

Federal Land Produced Less Crude Oil In 2011 Than It Did In 2003. “The U.S. Energy Information Administration, the DOE entity which prepared the report, debunks Salazar’s claim that production is the highest its been in recent memory. The report shows that crude oil production and natural gas production on Federal lands both fell between 2010 and 2011. In fact, federal lands produced less crude oil in fiscal 2011 than they did in fiscal 2003. Natural gas production on federal land also fell between 2010 and 2011.” (Joel Gehrke, “DOE Report On Energy Contradicts WH, Salazar,” The Washington Examiner ‘s Beltway Confidential, 3/15/12)

5 MILLION GREEN ENERGY JOBS

PROMISE: Obama Said His Investments In Green Energy Would Create Five Million New Jobs

Obama Promised That Five Million Jobs Would Be Created Retooling Plants To Make Fuel-Efficient Vehicles, Wind Turbines And Solar Panels. OBAMA: “If we can get that right, then we can move in a direction not only of energy independence, but we can create 5 million new jobs all across America, including in the heartland where we can retool some of these plants to make these highly fuel-efficient cars and also to make wind turbines and solar panels, the kinds of clean energy approaches that should be the driver of our economy for the next century.” (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

BROKEN: Obama’s Green Energy Jobs Never Showed Up And Their Efforts To Count Them Have Provided Laughable Results

If You “Generously Assume” Obama’s Methodology For “Saved Or Created” Clean-Energy Jobs, Obama’s Got “4,325,000 To Go.” “In November 2010, the President’s Council of Economic Advisers said federal recovery spending had ‘saved or created’ 225,000 clean-energy jobs, including ‘both the direct jobs of people involved in the construction of a particular project and also the jobs generated by the additional economic activity sparked by these projects.’ There’s no way to know whether this multiplier effect really resulted in the number the administration claims. But if you take it as true and generously assume similar growth for 2011 and 2012, that’s 675,000 jobs created at best-and 4,325,000 to go.” (Ira Boudway, “The 5 Million Green Jobs That Weren’t,” Bloomberg, 10/11/12)

Clean-Technology Jobs Account For Just 2 Percent Of Employment Nationwide. “A study released in July by the non-partisan Brookings Institution found clean-technology jobs accounted for just 2 percent of employment nationwide and only slightly more – 2.2 percent – in Silicon Valley. Rather than adding jobs, the study found, the sector actually lost 492 positions from 2003 to 2010 in the South Bay, where the unemployment rate in June was 10.5 percent.” (Aaron Glantz, “Number Of Green Jobs Fails To Live Up To Promises,” The New York Times, 8/18/11)

• The Wind Industry Has Shed 10,000 Jobs Since 2009. “The wind industry, for example, has shed 10,000 jobs since 2009 even as the energy capacity of wind farms has nearly doubled, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Meanwhile, the oil and gas industry has added 75,000 jobs since Obama took office, according to Labor Department statistics.” (Andy Sullivan, “Analysis: Obama’s ‘Green Jobs’ Have Been Slow To Sprout,” Reuters, 4/13/12)

• The Millions Of Green Energy Jobs Obama Promised Have Been Slow To Sprout. “But the millions of “green jobs” Obama promised have been slow to sprout, disappointing many who had hoped that the $90 billion earmarked for clean-energy efforts in the recession-fighting federal stimulus package would ease unemployment – still above 8 percent in March.” (Andy Sullivan, “Analysis: Obama’s ‘Green Jobs’ Have Been Slow To Sprout,” Reuters, 4/13/12)

COLLEGE AFFORDABILITY

PROMISE: Obama Said He Would Make College More Affordable

Obama Promised To Make College Tuition Affordable. OBAMA: “And I think it’s important for us to make college affordable. Right now, I meet young people all across the country who either have decided not to go to college or if they’re going to college, they are taking on $20,000, $30,000, $50,000, $60,000 worth of debt, and it’s very difficult for them to go into some fields, like basic research in science, for example, thinking to themselves that they’re going to have a mortgage before they even buy a house.” (Sen. Barack Obama,Remarks During The Third Presidential Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

BROKEN: Obama Has Failed To Make College More Affordable

The Cost Of College Is Currently At “An All Time High.” “Nationally, the cost of a full credit load has passed $8,000, an all-time high. Throw in room and board, and the average list price for a state school now runs more than $17,000 a year, according to the twin annual reports on college costs and student aid published Wednesday by the College Board.” (Justin Pope, “College Prices Up Again As States Slash Budgets,” The Associated Press, 10/26/11)

In The Past Year, Tuition For In-State Public College Rose 8.3 Percent. “Published in-state tuition and fees at public four-year institutions average $8,244 in 2011-12, $631 (8.3%) higher than in 2010-11. Average total charges, including tuition and fees and room and board, are $17,131, up 6.0% from 2010-11.” (“Trends In College Pricing 2011,” College Board, 2011-12)

• In The Past Year, Tuition For Public Two-Year Colleges Rose 8.7 Percent.“Published tuition and fees at public two-year colleges average $2,963, $236 (8.7%) higher than in 2010-11.” (“Trends In College Pricing 2011,” College Board, 2011-12)

The Cost Of College Has Increased “Faster Than The Rate Of Inflation” And If The Current Trend Continues, The Cost Of College “Will Have More Than Doubled In Just 15 Years.” “Nationally, state and local spending per college student, adjusted for inflation, reached a 25-year low this year, jeopardizing the long-held conviction that state-subsidized higher education is an affordable steppingstone for the lower and middle classes. All the while, the cost of tuition and fees has continued to increase faster than the rate of inflation, faster even than medical spending. If the trends continue through 2016, the average cost of a public college will have more than doubled in just 15 years, according to the Department of Education.” (Andrew Martin and Andrew W. Lehren, “A Generation Hobbled By The Soaring Cost Of College,” The New York Times, 5/12/12)