Fact Check: "The office worked with a modest $7 million annual budget."
What We Know
The claim that "the office worked with a modest $7 million annual budget" lacks context and accuracy. The U.S. federal budget is significantly larger than this figure. For instance, in fiscal year 2026, the overall federal spending is projected to be around $7 trillion, with a deficit of approximately $1.9 trillion according to the Congressional Budget Office. This indicates that the federal budget encompasses a wide array of expenditures far exceeding the $7 million mentioned in the claim.
Moreover, specific departments, such as the Health and Human Services (HHS), have budgets in the billions. For example, recent negotiations finalized a health and human services budget of $7 billion for the 2026-27 biennium, which is a substantial increase compared to the $7 million claim (Legislators navigate cuts, compromises in $7 billion HHS).
Analysis
The claim appears to be misleading as it presents a figure that is not representative of the actual spending levels of federal or state budgets. The $7 million figure could potentially refer to a specific program or administrative cost within a larger budget, but without additional context, it misrepresents the scale of government spending.
The sources cited provide a clearer picture of the federal budget's scale. The U.S. Treasury Fiscal Data outlines how the federal budget is structured and emphasizes that spending is categorized into mandatory and discretionary expenses, which collectively amount to trillions of dollars annually. The claim does not align with these figures and thus lacks credibility.
Furthermore, the reliability of the sources used to support the claim is questionable. The claim does not cite any official government documents or credible reports that would substantiate the $7 million figure. In contrast, the sources from the Congressional Budget Office and U.S. Treasury provide comprehensive and verifiable data on federal spending.
Conclusion
Verdict: False
The claim that "the office worked with a modest $7 million annual budget" is false. The actual federal budget is in the trillions, and even specific departmental budgets, such as that of Health and Human Services, are in the billions. The $7 million figure is misleading and does not accurately reflect the scale of government spending.
