Skip to main content

Politicians make promises on their stump — we watch and hold them accountable.

Help keep the record honest →Create an account
Fully KeptFiscal Policy / Budget

Sign the Cut, Cap, and Balance Pledge, committing to make substantial cuts in spending, enforce statutory spending caps, and pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution before voting to increase the debt limit.

Sources (click to view full provenance)

Propose an edit to this promise's details

Suggest a sourced correction to the promise text, topic, scope, significance, or dates. Changing the promise text requires a source. Your suggestion is reviewed before it changes the record.

Sign in and complete the Contributor Agreement to propose an edit.

Assessments

evidence-backed verdicts

These are sourced verdicts from fact-checkers or community evidence reviews — not opinions.

Fully KeptFact-checker reviewConfidence: 90%

All three cited primary sources are reachable and each documents the outcome for THIS promise, with the quoted text verified verbatim. (1) The Senate roll call (Vote 116, July 22, 2011) confirms Graham voted Nay on the Motion to Table the Motion to Proceed to H.R. 2560, the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act — i.e., he voted to advance the bill containing substantial cuts, statutory caps, and a BBA precondition; the motion to table was agreed to 51-46 over his objection. (2) Graham's op-ed "On the Debt Deal: Why I Voted No" is reachable and contains, verbatim, "I strongly supported Cut, Cap and Balance and will continue to work for passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution," confirming he voted against the debt-ceiling increase (Budget Control Act) consistent with the pledge's core commitment. (3) The press release documenting his signing of the Cut-Cap-Balance Pledge is reachable and contains, verbatim, the quoted statement about a constitutional balanced-budget requirement. The promise is an individual-conduct pledge: Graham signed it, voted to advance CCB, and voted No on the debt-limit increase that did not meet the pledge's conditions — every action the pledge asks of a single member was fulfilled. The BBA's non-passage and the debt-limit increase resulted from the majority tabling CCB and passing the BCA over his No vote, outside a lone senator's control. FULL rather than CHAMPIONED is correctly reasoned (supporter/cosponsor, not the effort's principal author). The evidence supports the outcome without overstatement.

Your opinion on this assessment(clearly labeled opinion)

Sign in to vote.

Discussion

community opinions

Comments are user opinions — not verdicts. They do not affect the official assessment.

Sign in to join the discussion.

Propose a correction

community accountability

See an error in the promise text, status, significance, or missing source? Submit a sourced correction — a reviewer will evaluate and apply it if accurate. Your submission must cite evidence; unsourced changes are not accepted.

Sign in or create an account to propose a correction.

Debate

sourced community arguments

These are sourced community arguments — not StumpWatch assessments. Each cites a source and is community-contributed; it does not change the official status or rating above.

No arguments yet

Be the first to weigh in. Every argument cites a source and is reviewed before it publishes. Create an account to add one and help keep this promise honest.

Add a sourced argument

Cite a source for your point. Submissions are held for reviewer approval before they appear.

Sign in or create an account to add an argument.

StumpWatch is live, and the record is still growing. Many promises and positions aren’t tracked yet, and some features are still in beta. Add a sourced promise and help keep the record honest.

Help keep the record honest →