Fact Checking Obama White House Senior Advisor David Plouffe On The Sunday Shows

PLOUFFE FLUFF: OIL PRODUCTION

PLOUFFE FLUFF: On Fox News Sunday, David Plouffe Claimed Oil Production Is At An Eight Year High. FOX’S CHRIS WALLACE: “During the campaign, Barack Obama blamed President Bush for the rise in gas prices on his watch. Let’s watch.” THEN-SENATOR BARACK OBAMA: “Here in Ohio you’re paying nearly $3.70 a gallon for gas and that’s because it’s gone down over the last couple of weeks. Two and half times what it cost when George Bush took office.” WALLACE: “Using that same logic, how responsible is President Obama now for gas prices more than doubling since he took office?” WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISOR DAVID PLOUFFE: “Well the point is Chris, you see we’ve gone through these just about every year now, in some respects we’ve been dealing with this for decades. It’s got more pronounced in the last few years as you see increased demand from countries like China and India. So what the presidents been saying, and he said it when he ran for office and he’s saying it now, we have to do everything we can her to produce oil, natural gas here in this country. Now, we’re doing that. Production is at an eight year high.” (Fox’s “Fox News Sunday,” 3/25/12)

FACT CHECK: 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)

Production On Federal Lands And Waters 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)

• Crude Oil Production On Federal Lands Fell From 4.3 Quadrillion Btu In 2010 To 3.7 Quadrillion Btu In 2011. (“Sales Of Fossil Fuels Produced From Federal And Indian Lands, FY 2003 Through FY 2011,” Energy Information Administration, 3/14/12)
  • Total Fossil Fuel Production On Federal Lands Fell From 19.9 Quadrillion Btu In 2010 To 18.6 Quadrillion Btu In 2011. (“Sales Of Fossil Fuels Produced From Federal And Indian Lands, FY 2003 Through FY 2011,” Energy Information Administration, 3/14/12)

Meet The Press’ David Gregory Pointed Out That Obama Is Trying To Take Credit On Oil Production When The Credit Should Actually Go To Bush.  NBC’S DAVID GREGORY: “The president even gave an interview back in 2008 with ‘Rolling Stone,’ I’ll pull it up on the screen. This is something he said, these are energy goals for the first year. ‘If I haven’t gotten combat troops out of Iraq, passed universal health care, and created a new energy policy that speaks to our dependence on foreign oil and deals seriously with global warming, then we’ve missed the boat.’ He has accomplished those first two things, but energy is something that he hasn’t been able to do. Even after the BP oil spill when he said we will not tolerate inaction on this. He still hasn’t been able to accomplish that. Then you see him playing politics, it appears, not only with a trip this week  where he’s going to swing states to talk about more domestic production but on the keystone pipeline, he first tries to please environmentalists by pushing this off until after the election, now comes out and says I’m for the southern portion of it. Does that stuff ring true with the American people?” DAVID PLOUFFE: “I take issue with the whole premise of this. We are on track to meet a very aggressive increase in terms of dependence on energy goals.” GREGORY: “To be fair, a lot of that goes back to the Bush administration. There is a lead time, I’ve spoken to experts on this. A lot of these increases in production go back to Bush-era decisions and most of them, of course, are on private lands. So you’re taking credit for this boost in exploration, which is not really fair.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 3/25/12)

Meet The Press’ David Gregory Called Out Obama’s Hypocrisy On Gas Prices And Politics.  NBC’S DAVID GREGORY: “Alright, well you talk about honesty with the American people. One of the things the President has said is that this is always used as a political club, and that all these Republicans are out there just trying to blame the President. It’s politics so they go down to the gas station and complain about the price of gas. Well, back in 2008, then candidate Obama had a similar complaint and look where he is in this piece of tape.” THEN-SENATOR BARACK OBAMA: “Candidates with the Washington experience, my opponents, are good people. They mean well. But they’ve been in Washington an awful long time. And even with all the experience they talk about, nothing has happened. So what have we got for all that experience? Gas that’s approaching $4 a gallon.”  GREGORY: “Is this a guy with a long-term plan or was he just playing politics?” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 3/25/12)

PLOUFFE FLUFF: KEYSTONE

PLOUFFE FLUFF: Fox News Sunday Host Chris Wallace Challenged Plouffe’s Talking Points On Keystone. FOX NEWS’CHRIS WALLACE: “You say you are doing everything you can. I want to talk to you about a specific area where a lot of people say you are not doing everything you can. The president went to Oklahoma this week to make a big show about the fact he was calling for faster construction of the southern leg, the southern part of the Keystone Pipeline, but he’s basically, you can see the map here, the southern leg is highlighted, he is basically irrelevant to the part which is controlled by the states that it crosses, and what people are concerned about it is the northern leg above the highlighted area. The State Department and the EPA studied that for three years and came to the conclusion, I want to get the quote right, ‘No significant impact’ to the project from the U.S.-Canadian border down past Nebraska down to Oklahoma. Given that why did the president delay past the November election?” DAVID PLOUFFE: “Well, first off all, the southern part of this pipelines is pretty important, because of production.” WALLACE: “But the president doesn’t have that much to do with it.” PLOUFFE: “There are permits we are going to expedite. Production is going so well in this country, there is a glut of oil in that section of the country. We need to get that oil to market. That pipeline is important. We have approved dozens of pipe lines. The governor in Nebraska and the Republican legislators in Nebraska had a problem with the pipeline going through the aquifer. They raised objections.” (Fox’s “Fox News Sunday,” 3/25/12)

FACT CHECK: “President Barack Obama’s Promise To Expedite The Review Of The Southern Leg Of Transcanada Corp. (TRP)’S Keystone XL Pipeline Won’t Speed Up The Project, Which Already Is Slated To Start Construction As Soon As June.” (Bradley Olson & Mike Lee, “Obama’s Speedy Keystone Review Won’t Accelerate Cushing Pipe,” Bloomberg, 3/22/12)

• The Southern Portion Of Keystone Does Not Require Permission From President Obama. “Since the Cushing phase doesn’t cross an international border, it doesn’t require permission from the U.S. Department of State and president, as the full project did.” (“Obama Putting Keystone XL Pipeline’s Southern Segment On Fast-Track,” The Associated Press, 3/22/12)
• CNN’s Anderson Cooper: White House Can’t Exactly Say How Obama Will Expedite The Keystone Pipeline.  CNN’s ANDERSON COOPER: “Keeping him honest, House Speaker John Boehner has a point. Permits for pipelines within U.S. borders are issued at the state and local levels. Federal government doesn’t have much to do with the approval process unless it crosses the U.S. border. The White House is standing by its claim saying that fast tracking the project will have a real impact but not saying exactly how it will shorten the timeline or how much. With gas prices already high and climbing, the timing of president Obama’s energy tour probably isn’t surprising. In a new Gallup Poll, four in ten Americans describe the country’s energy situation as very serious.” (CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360, 3/22/12)
  • “The White House On Wednesday Provided An Unclear Picture Of Which Agencies Specifically Would Have Authority To Expedite The Procedure For The Transcanada Route And Other Pipelines.” “But the White House on Wednesday provided an unclear picture of which agencies specifically would have authority to expedite the procedure for the TransCanada route and other pipelines. Asked during a flight from Washington, D.C. to Nevada, where the president spoke earlier Wednesday, press secretary Jay Carney told reporters, ‘I just don’t have those details handy for you’ when asked which agencies are involved in such processes. Senior administration officials were later asked the same question on a conference call, as a reporter mentioned the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Army Corps of Engineers as two agencies that might be involved. One official said that permitting and review requirements would depend on the specific route and details of each pipeline plan but that ‘the agencies you suggested are in line with our best estimate.’”  (Ali Weinberg, “Obama, On Site, Praises Development Of Portion Of Oil Pipeline,” NBC’s First Read, 3/22/12)

PLOUFFE FLUFF: DEFICITS

PLOUFFE FLUFF: On Fox News Sunday, Plouffe Said Obama’s Budget Is The “Right Approach” And Gets The Deficit “On A Very Sustainable Path.” DAVID PLOUFFE: ‘So the right approach is the President’s approach which is – whether it’s Bowles-Simpson- ’ FOX NEWS’ CHRIS WALLACE: ‘Even though it does nothing to address the national debt – ’ PLOUFFE:  ‘Well, It gets our deficit on a very sustainable path, it cuts – listen this President has already signed into law-’ WALLACE: ‘It never balances the budget according to the CBO.’”(Fox’s “Fox News Sunday,” 3/25/12)

FACT CHECK: Obama’s FY2013 Budget Will Produce A $977 Billion Deficit. “A new analysis of President Barack Obama’s budget for next year says the deficit scenario next year isn’t as rosy as the administration painted it. The Congressional Budget Office says tax revenues for the 2013 budget year were over-estimated and thus was the projected $901 billion deficit. It says the figure is $977 billion. For the current 2012 budget year, CBO says Obama’s policies would generate a $1.25 trillion deficit.” (Andrew Taylor, “CBO: Obama Budget Produces 2013 Deficit Of $977B,” The Associated Press, 3/16/12)

• Obama’s FY2013 Budget Adds $3.5 Trillion To Annual Deficits Through 2022. “President Obama’s 2013 budget would add $3.5 trillion to annual deficits through 2022, according to a new estimate from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). It also would raise the deficit next year by $365 billion, according to the nonpartisan office.” (Erik Wasson, “CBO: Obama Budget Adds $3.5 Trillion In Deficits Through 2022,” The Hill’s “On The Money,” 3/16/12)
• Obama’s FY2013 Budget Would Increase The Total Federal Debt To $25.9 Trillion By The End of 2022. (OMB, 2/13/12)

PLOUFFE FLUFF: OBAMACARE

PLOUFFE FLUFF: On Meet The Press, Plouffe Guaranteed Americans Will Be “Glad The Republicans Called This ObamaCare.” NBC’s DAVID GREGORY: “All that notwithstanding, you’re not really winning the argument. Do you feel like you’re winning the argument in terms of public approval for it?” WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISOR DAVID PLOUFFE: “Here’s what I think. I think, I guarantee this and I don’t make many guarantees, by the end of this decade we’re going to be glad the Republicans called this ObamaCare.” (NBC’s “Meet The Press,” 3/25/12)

FACT CHECK: Americans Continue To Disapprove Of ObamaCare:

ObamaCare’s “Unpopularity” Has Silenced Democrats All Across The Country. “The law’s unpopularity has vexed Democrats, who marvel that its benefits — many of which are popular on their own terms — aren’t driving up the approval rating as they are implemented by the administration.” (Jonathan Strong, “Democrats Offer New Argument On Health Care Act,” Roll Call, 3/22/12)

• “This ABC News/Washington Post Poll Finds That Americans Oppose The Law Overall By 52-41 Percent.”  (Greg Holyk, “As Health Care Law’s Trial Approaches, Two-Thirds Say Ditch Individual Mandate,” ABC News, 3/19/12)
• “And 67 Percent Believe The High Court Should Either Ditch The Law Or At Least The Portion That Requires Nearly All Americans To Have Coverage.” (Greg Holyk, “As Health Care Law’s Trial Approaches, Two-Thirds Say Ditch Individual Mandate,” ABC News, 3/19/12)
• “Independents Oppose The Law By 51-43 Percent, With Strong Opponents Outnumbering Strong Supporters By 2-1.” (Greg Holyk, “As Health Care Law’s Trial Approaches, Two-Thirds Say Ditch Individual Mandate,” ABC News, 3/19/12)

FACT CHECK: Americans Won’t Be Happy With ObamaCare When They Are Forced Out Of Their 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)

• The Non-Partisan CBO 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)

FACT CHECK: ObamaCare Is Making Health Care Less Affordable For Americans:

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)