Grading PolitiFact (Virginia): Bobby Scott and the cost of tax compromise

The issue:

The fact checkers:

Wes Hester:  writer, researcher
Warren Fiske:  editor


Analysis:

The context of Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott's (D-Va.) statement:

“This bill adds more than $800 billion to the deficit over two-years – more than the cost of TARP and more than the cost of the Recovery Act.   It costs about the same over two years as the 10 year cost of the Health Care Reform bill, which we paid for."

(...)

“We cannot add more than $800 billion to the deficit through tax cuts and tell the American people with a straight face that they won’t have to sacrifice anything in the future to balance the federal budget.  If we didn’t have the political will to end the Bush-era tax cuts tonight, we certainly won’t have the political will to do it two years from now during a presidential election.”

I included the latter paragraph to help make clear what Scott was trying to communicate.  He is saying that extending all of the tax cuts adds more than $800 billion to the deficit.  Note that PolitiFact does not frame the issue the same way:  "Rep. Bobby Scott says the tax deal costs the same as health care reform, exceeds price of Stimulus and TARP."

Tax cuts, tax deal.  The difference is significant, as we shall see.