x
Breaking News
More () »

VERIFYING claims from Kamala Harris’ NABJ interview

Harris spoke with the National Association of Black Journalists on Tuesday to answer questions about her campaign. We VERIFY a couple of claims from the interview.

Vice President Kamala Harris met with the National Association of Black Journalists in Philadelphia Tuesday for an interview covering her work as vice president and her plans for the White House if she’s elected.

We VERIFIED claims made by Harris during the interview.

THE CLAIM

 "We came in under the worst unemployment since the Great Depression."

THE SOURCES

WHAT WE FOUND

This is misleading.

The unemployment rate during the height of the Great Depression in 1933 was 24.9%, according to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum. 

While the unemployment rate did hit a post-Depression high of 14.8% during Trump’s presidency, it was actually in April 2020, during the early months of the pandemic.

In January 2021, when President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office, the unemployment rate was 6.4%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

Sign up for the VERIFY Fast Facts daily Newsletter!

THE CLAIM

 "We have done the work of capping the cost of prescription medication for our seniors for issues like insulin."

THE SOURCES

WHAT WE FOUND

This needs context.

The Biden-Harris administration did institute $35 insulin caps, but the program was initially introduced by Donald Trump when he was president.

Trump signed an executive order in July 2020 that established the Part D Savings Program Model, which temporarily lowered the monthly insulin cost to $35 for some Medicare patients who were enrolled in optional Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. This was in effect from 2021 until 2023. 

In August 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act. This act permanently lowered the monthly insulin cost to $35 for Part D members and expanded the program to include people on the optional Medicare Part B plan too. 

This expansion made over 3.3 million Medicare patients who take insulin eligible for the $35 cap, compared to the 800,000 who were eligible under Trump’s plan, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. 

The VERIFY team works to separate fact from fiction so that you can understand what is true and false. Please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter, text alerts and our YouTube channel. You can also follow us on Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok. Learn More »

Follow Us

Want something VERIFIED?

Text: 202-410-8808

Before You Leave, Check This Out