Rand Paul on Technology

FactCheck: Free "Obama phones" actually started in 1984

Paul wrongly suggested that the Obama administration instituted a program to give free cell phones to the poor, saying "The president offers you free stuff but his policies keep you poor." He later commented that "for those who are struggling, we want you to have something infinitely more valuable than a free phone, we want you to have a job and a pathway to success."

While it's true that the government provides subsidized phone service for low-income persons, such programs were in existence before Obama came into office. Lifeline, a federally mandated program that reimburses phone companies with a monthly subsidy of $9.25 for each low-income customer, has been around since 1984, when it began providing landline service. The program is designed to fulfill FCC policy of providing universal access. The program was then expanded during the George W. Bush administration in 2008 to cover cell phone usage. Since 2009 [FactCheck.org has been] debunking false Internet claims of an "Obama phone."

Source: FactCheck.org on 2013 State of the Union Address , Feb 14, 2013

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