&Quot;American Rescue Plan&Quot;

Is the federal government providing a "six-month free" commercial driver's license, or CDL, course beginning in June 2024, as a post on Facebook claimed? No, that's not true: A spokesperson with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration -- a branch of the Department of Transportation that handles the issuance of CDLs -- told Lead Stories that the post includes false…

Is the federal government giving out health spending cards worth up to $5,600 that every American qualifies for? No, that's not true: The claim that the government is freely giving out health spending cards with thousands of dollars on them is a scam. Such scams are usually attached to some sort of advertorial asking whether one needs federal assistance or…

Did President Joe Biden take away $250 million in funding for the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) that is dedicated to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs)? No, that's not true: The Biden administration has provided funding to HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions (MSIs) during his presidency. The federal government, however, does not provide any funding to HBCUs through the…

Does the student loan forgiveness program announced by the Biden administration on August 25, 2022, treat canceled student debt as taxable income? No, that's not true. Although debt cancellation is usually considered taxable, the Biden student debt relief falls under the American Rescue Plan, which exempts most student debt relief from taxation through the end of 2025. The claim appeared…

Did President Joe Biden make the same speech on the dates of "12/21 and 3/22"? No, that's not true: While it's unclear whether the post is referring to dates by month/date (i.e., December 21 and March 22) or month/year (December 2021 and March 2022), White House transcripts show he touched on the same topics in speeches two days apart in…

Did President Joe Biden approve a "healthcare card" that provides free health, vision and dental benefits? No, that's not true: There's no such "healthcare card" approved by the president -- and the claim is an advertising ploy. The claim appeared in a Facebook post published on May 23, 2022. It featured a picture of Biden with stacks of legislation and…

Did the U.S. government secretly pay major media outlets to promote COVID-19 vaccines and suppress negative coverage? No, that's not true: The public education campaign via ads was announced by the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the early months of 2021. The funding was approved by Congress. The paid ads were handled by…

Do users making personal payments on peer-to-peer payment systems like Cash App and PayPal have to follow a "tax rule" for transactions that exceed $600? No, that's not true: No such "tax rule" exists, only a reporting adjustment for business transactions. Although the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 changed the reporting requirements for transactions that take place through peer-to-peer…

Does Congress' infrastructure bill include a 61% death tax on an individual's entire accumulated wealth and estate? No, that's not true: The American Families Plan designed by the Biden administration proposed two tax increases that suggested a death tax of about 61% for only the nation's wealthiest individuals. That measure has not been included in Congress' infrastructure act. The claim…

Did President Joe Biden cut funding for historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) by $30 billion? No, that's not true: The Biden administration originally proposed more than $90 billion in funding for HBCUs, tribal colleges and universities (TCUs) and minority-serving institutions (MSIs). That proposed funding was significantly cut by Congress, not the Biden administration. The claim appeared in a Facebook…