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Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy. We need your help. More Info ### I would like to contribute One Time Monthly Yearly Join Now ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on December 21, 2020 in in a Facebook post: Says COVID-19 relief bill “provides more funding to foreign governments and to American arts centers, than to the American people.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" mostly-false/6a6ef6075c162fdccf5eb960e683dcd1.jpg.\\") ![\\"barely- true\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") * Federal Budget * Facebook Fact-checks * Coronavirus * Facebook posts ![\\"Miriam](\\" By Miriam Valverde December 22, 2020 # Facebook posts wrongly say COVID-19 bill includes foreign aid, arts funding #### If Your Time is short * The post conflates provisions of the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill with provisions of a separate, $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill. Both were part of a broader $2.3 trillion package approved by Congress. * The overall spending bill included funding for American arts centers and foreign aid, but that funding was not included in the COVID-19 relief bill. It was part of the $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill. See the sources for this fact-check Shortly after lawmakers agreed on sending $600 stimulus checks to many Americans, Facebook users said the COVID-19 relief bill put foreign interests and the arts above the needs of the American people. \"Every American left and right should be calling for a #VETO of this stimulus ‘deal’— which provides MORE funding to foreign governments and to American arts centers, than to the American people,\" said a Dec. 21 post. The post included a picture listing domestic entities and foreign countries appropriated millions if not billions of dollars, juxtaposed with just $600 for the \"American people.\" Under domestic funding, for instance, it listed the \"Kennedy Center — $26,400,000.\" The post mentioned at least eight foreign countries receiving aid, including Egypt, Sudan, and Ukraine. According to the post, Egypt would get $1.3 billion. The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.) The post is right that Congress appropriated funds for foreign aid and for American arts centers, and Americans are free to disagree that taxpayer money is allotted in this way. But it’s wrong to suggest that such funding is in the COVID-19 relief bill. On Dec. 21, lawmakers in both chambers of Congress passed a $2.3 trillion spending package: a roughly $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill — consisting of 12 different bills to fund the government during fiscal year 2021 — and a separate, approximately $900 billion bill specifically for COVID-19 relief. Lawmakers also passed several other smaller bills. It’s the $1.4 trillion part of the package that included funding for U.S. policies and priorities within the country and abroad. The Facebook post conflates provisions of the COVID-19 relief bill with provisions in the omnibus spending bill. COVID-19 relief bill It’s been about nine months since a $2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill was signed into law by President Donald Trump. Some members of Congress were frustrated that legislative leaders released the new bill — 5,593 pages long — just hours before they were expected to vote on it. Some people argue that Americans should be getting more than $600 in direct payments, and the Facebook posts echo that sentiment. At the same time, the posts don’t mention the other forms of relief that will be available to some Americans, including unemployment assistance. Overall, the COVID-19 relief bill totals more than $900 billion. Americans who meet specific income criteria are expected to get $600. The relief bill includes about $166 billion for the stimulus checks, according to a breakdown from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget: Here’s the group’s breakdown of what else is in the bill: • $325 billion in aid to small businesses (includes Paycheck Protection Program) • $120 billion for unemployment assistance ($300 a week for 11 weeks) • $82 billion for education (such as K-12 education grants) • $56 billion for health care (includes funding for states to do COVID-19 testing) #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" logo-black-01/b6cedac93f6e57c68ecc025e5ec29d57.jpg\\") ![](\\" logo-black-01/438dbf066033f99de07598cbcc77ddcb.jpg\\") Threads posts stated on July 23, 2024 in a Threads post As of July 23, 2024, “Trump has announced he won’t debate Kamala Harris.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Mia Penner • July 24, 2024 • $45 billion for transportation (includes payroll support program for airline workers) • $83 billion for other spending (such as rental assistance, nutrition programs) • $40 billion for other tax cuts (such as the Extend and Expand Employee Retention Tax Credit) Funding for foreign countries, arts is in other spending bill The Facebook post says that lawmakers provided aid to at least eight foreign countries in the COVID-19 relief package, including $1.3 billion to Egypt. That’s not part of the COVID-19 relief bill. The omnibus spending bill, under the header \"Foreign Military Financing program,\" says that $1.3 billion is to remain available until Sept. 30, 2022, and should be made available for assistance for Egypt. It stipulates several conditions for the disbursement of those funds. For instance, $225 million will be withheld until the secretary of state certifies and reports to Congress that the Egyptian government has taken steps to improve the rule of law, democratic institutions, and human rights. Appropriation bills usually include foreign aid, commonly for military and humanitarian aid, said Steve Ellis, president of the nonpartisan budget watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense. Our reporting has shown that foreign aid historically represents about 1% of the overall federal budget. Polling has shown that average Americans assume the U.S. spends about 31% of its budget on foreign aid. The omnibus spending part of the package passed by Congress also calls for $26.4 million to remain available until Sept. 30, 2022 for the John F. Kennedy Center’s operation, maintenance, and security. The Facebook post flags that appropriation, but omits that it’s part of the omnibus spending bill, not part of the COVID-19 relief bill. The \"domestic funding\" and \"foreign countries\" funding in the post are part of the omnibus spending bill, not the COVID-19 relief bill. The total of the \"foreign aid\" and \"domestic funding\" mentioned in the Facebook post is not greater than the funding in the COVID-19 relief bill. No pay raise for Congress Other Facebook posts also claimed, wrongly, that Congress snuck a pay raise for its members into the new legislation. It did not. The same claim was made about the CARES Act in March. As we’ve reported, congressional pay raises are fixed to the Employment Cost Index, which measures changes in wages. Pay increases are automatic unless Congress votes them down, which it has done repeatedly since 2009, according to the Congressional Research Service. Section 7 of the legislation says: \"Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no adjustment shall be made under section 601(a) of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4501) (relating to cost of living adjustments for Members of Congress) during fiscal year 2021.\" Our ruling A Facebook post claimed that a COVID-19 relief bill \"provides more funding to foreign governments and to American arts centers, than to the American people.\" The post conflates provisions of the $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill with provisions of a separate, $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill. Both were part of a broader $2.3 trillion package approved by Congress. The overall spending bill included funding for American arts centers and foreign aid, but that funding was not included in the COVID-19 relief bill. It was part of the $1.4 trillion omnibus spending bill. The Facebook post contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression. We rate it Mostly False. PolitiFact staff writer Bill McCarthy contributed to this report. #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Facebook post, Dec. 21, 2020 (archive; Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, released by the House Rules Committee House Appropriations Committee, House Democrats File Omnibus Spending Bill, Dec. 21, 2020 Facebook post, Dec. 21, 2020 Politico, \"Breaking down the $900B stimulus package and $1.4T omnibus bill,\" Dec. 21, 2020 Bloomberg News, \"What’s In the $900 Billion Virus Relief Bill Passed by Congress,\" Dec. 20, 2020 Congressional Research Service, \"Salaries of Members of Congress: Recent Actions and Historical Tables,\" Aug. 18, 2020 PolitiFact, \"Congress did not give itself a raise in the coronavirus stimulus package,\" March 30, 2020 PolitiFact, \"Congress didn\'t stiff retirees and give itself a raise,\" Jan. 2, 2020 PolitiFact, \"No, congressional salaries have not gone up 231% over the last 30 years,\" Aug. 7, 2019 PolitiFact, \"Did Congress vote to give itself a pay raise this year? No,\" April 20, 2018 Email interview, Steve Ellis, president of the nonpartisan budget watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense, Dec. 22, 2020 Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, What\'s in the Final COVID Relief Deal of 2020?, Dec. 21, 2020 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Miriam Valverde ![](\\" ![](\\" Pramila Jayapal stated on August 30, 2021 in an Instagram post: “The average hospital stay for a case of COVID-19 costs about $17,064. The vaccine is free.” ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"mostly-true\\"](\\" mostly-true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • September 2, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Mitt Romney stated on August 29, 2021 in a CNN interview: The Trump administration worked to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners. ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"true\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • August 31, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Joe Biden stated on August 20, 2021 in a press conference: There has been “no question of our credibility from our allies around the world” regarding how the U.S. is withdrawing from Afghanistan. ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • August 26, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 16, 2021 in a Facebook post: COVID-19 vaccinations are “a violation of the Nuremberg code.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • August 20, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on August 4, 2021 in a press conference: Says Joe Biden has driven the current coronavirus surge because he “imported more virus from around the world by having a wide open southern border.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Louis Jacobson • August 6, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on June 16, 2021 in a press conference: “That meth … it’s almost all coming across the southern border and it’s been accelerating for the last six months.” ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"half-true\\"](\\" true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • June 21, 2021 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on June 4, 2021 in an Instagram post: \"920 women lose their unborn babies after getting vaccinated.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • June 8, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on May 26, 2021 in a Facebook post: Police defunding is to blame for “skyrocketing murder rates” in Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Portland, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • May 28, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on May 25, 2021 in a Facebook post: “Biden agrees to Pelosi\'s request to resign.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • May 26, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on May 17, 2021 in social media posts: “Gas prices highest in a decade. Worst jobs report in 2 decades. Highest inflation in 3 decades. Highest increase in illegal immigration in 4 decades.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Louis Jacobson • May 26, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kevin McCarthy stated on May 12, 2021 in a statement to reporters: \"I don\'t think anybody is questioning the legitimacy of the presidential election.\" ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • May 14, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Kamala Harris stated on May 4, 2021 in a speech: “The global cost of corruption is as much as 5% of the world\'s GDP.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • May 7, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Ron DeSantis stated on April 19, 2021 in a speech: “If you look at some of these places that (reduced police funding), they’ve already seen crime go up.\" ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Miriam Valverde • May 4, 2021 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on April 22, 2021 in an Instagram post: \"Mountains of data\" show drug ivermectin \"basically obliterates\" COVID-19 transmission. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • April 23, 2021 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on April 7, 2021 in a Facebook post: Says the nation is locked down and there’s “a wide open border.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Miriam Valverde • April 15, 2021 ### Facebook posts wrongly say COVID-19 bill includes foreign aid, arts funding * ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on August 17, 2024 in a Facebook post: Video shows former President Donald Trump thought he was in North Carolina while he spoke in Pennsylvania. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • August 22, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Threads posts stated on August 19, 2024 in Threads posts: The Democratic National Convention was “nearly empty” during its first day. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • August 22, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" J.D. Vance stated on August 16, 2024 in a post on X: “Kamala Harris wants to give $25,000 to illegal aliens to buy American homes.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Madison Czopek • August 22, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on August 19, 2024 in a Threads post: “PA Gov Josh Shapiro isn’t attending the DNC at all.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • August 21, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Threads posts stated on August 17, 2024 in a photo: Trump said “you used to be able to get cereal for 20, 30 bucks a pound.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu • August 21, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on August 17, 2024 in In X post on Aug. 17: Photo shows “domestic Antifa are already gathering in Chicago, to create chaos during the Harris-Walz DNC.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sabine Martin • August 21, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Viral image stated on August 19, 2024 in a Facebook post: “Travis Kelce kneels during national anthem fined $10 million and thrown out of the game.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Ciara O\'Rourke • August 21, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on August 19, 2024 in X posts: The American flag is missing from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • August 21, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Tim Walz stated on August 14, 2024 in a speech in California: Former President Donald Trump “cut overtime benefits for millions of workers.” ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"barely-true\\"](\\" barely-true.jpg\\") By Amy Sherman • August 20, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" X posts stated on August 19, 2024 in a post: “Women don\'t even get their own restroom at the DNC convention.” ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Grace Abels • August 20, 2024 Load more ### Support independent fact-checking. 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Says COVID19 relief bill provides more funding to foreign governments and to American arts centers than to the American people