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AP Accused of Anti-Democratic Bias After Posting Super Shady Tweet on Relief Bill Vote
The Democrat-led House of Representatives is expected to pass another sweeping relief bill in the face of the pandemic that's killed over 500 thousand Americans, crossing one of the biggest hurdles in the arduous process of enacting the $1.9 trillion bill into law.
Democrats in the evenly divided Senate already had to use the reconciliation process to bypass the filibuster and pass a budget resolution allowing for the bill's construction.
The party's focus on the bill comes after months of Democrats campaigning on expanded relief to earn support for a legislative majority. Though Democrats didn't fare as well as some predicted, the party held on to its majority in the House, won the White House, and earned a narrow Senate majority.
With the bill on the verge of passing the House, the Associated Press is under fire for rhetoric used in its headline describing the procedure.
Democrats are ready to shove a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package through the House today. But a minimum wage… https://t.co/GTKz4bD9j0— AP Politics (@AP Politics) 1614343264.0
The AP reported that Democrats were ready to "shove" the legislation through the House, implying methods more insidious than the majority party simply passing legislation on which it campaigned.
Some looked back at AP's reporting on Trump's tax policy, a deeply unpopular bill for which Republicans—like Democrats in 2021—used the reconciliation process to bypass the filibuster. The bill passed by only three votes in the Senate and 23 votes in the 435 member House.
But that passage appears to have been covered quite differently.
I went back to see if thy ever described the GOP giveaway to the rich as a "shove." Reader, they did not.… https://t.co/XNEI0XPZbA— Schooley (@Schooley) 1614360014.0
@AP_Politics This is the first time the @AP_Politics account has ever tweeted the word "shove," meaning they never… https://t.co/EbBiuzopF9— Paul 👻 (@Paul 👻) 1614346771.0
Both bills pushed through by the same method. Notice the difference in how @AP_Politics frames them. Republicans -… https://t.co/RvLC46vkUL— Kelly ツ (@Kelly ツ) 1614362191.0
People found the AP's characterization of the procedure biased or, at the very least, unnecessary.
Hey @AP_Politics, your right-wing bias is showing (again). “Shove?” Try “pass” or “approve.” “Shove” is not value-n… https://t.co/YgEwfNVnB0— Parker Molloy (@Parker Molloy) 1614346377.0
Shove? Like a supreme court justice on the eve of an election shove? They used to at least pretend to be objective. https://t.co/IaL0qiNgbA— (((Roberta Kina Hora Lipp))) (@(((Roberta Kina Hora Lipp)))) 1614347324.0
if by "shove" you mean pass with a democratically elected majority after weeks of debate sure I guess. https://t.co/YTQnauJJc5— Anna Dorman (@Anna Dorman) 1614368258.0
Fixed headline: Democrats are ready to pass a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package supported by a majority of… https://t.co/K1zK6pgEw6— Katherine Clark (@Katherine Clark) 1614364610.0
“Republicans are likely to vote against a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package in the House today despite a lar… https://t.co/CmqpgEbQn6— Josh Schwerin (@Josh Schwerin) 1614357916.0
Wow, this is some biased framing from the AP. https://t.co/qZfd0Zc3Sa— Garance Franke-Ruta (@Garance Franke-Ruta) 1614357300.0
An overwhelming three-quarter majority of all American voters supports the latest relief bill.