Ocasio-Cortez Reveals Congress Is Considering a Move to 'Rein In' Media
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez revealed that Congress is considering an initiative to help “rein in” the media to combat “disinformation and misinformation” following last week’s incursion at the U.S. Capitol.
The New York congresswoman floated the idea during a livestream Tuesday night on Instagram after a viewer asked if there was a discussion among lawmakers about “truth and reconciliation or media literacy initiatives” to help the public with healing.
“There is absolutely a commission being discussed, but it seems to be more investigatory in style rather than truth and reconciliation, so I think that’s an interesting concept for us to explore,” Ocasio-Cortez said.
“You know, I do think that several members of Congress, in some of my discussions, have brought up media literacy because that is a part of what happened here, and we’re going to have to figure out how we rein in our media environment so that you can’t just spew disinformation and misinformation.”
She added, “It’s one thing to have differing opinions, but it’s another thing entirely to just say things are false. And so that’s something that we’re looking into.”
AOC suggests adding “media literacy” as a mandate for a congressional “truth and reconciliation” committee pic.twitter.com/sv7UXMwvaO
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 13, 2021
In a Tuesday tweet, the congresswoman echoed her message: “Lies are not ‘differences of opinion.'”
Ocasio-Cortez also claimed that President Donald Trump represents “white supremacy.”
“And if at this point you haven’t recognized that and you don’t see it, maybe you have a lot of work to do,” she said.
“Maybe we have a lot of work to do. But that’s a real big issue that we have.”
AOC: “A lot of people have drank the poison of white supremacy and that’s what Donald Trump represents. Just is. And if at this point you haven’t recognized that and you don’t see it, maybe you have a lot of work to do.” pic.twitter.com/8I0gknCVib
— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) January 13, 2021
Ocasio-Cortez has also called for the resignations of Trump, Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Ted Cruz of Texas, and any other Republican who she claimed “amplified lies to undermine our democracy, encouraged an attack on our Capitol and tried to overturn our election.”
“If your lust for power exceeds your dedication to democracy, there is simply no place for you in Congress,” she tweeted.
A growing number of Democratic senators have also called for Hawley and Cruz to resign because of their efforts to object to President-elect Joe Biden’s electors, Forbes reported.
The senators said they acted to ensure that voters’ concerns about election integrity would get a fair hearing.
Millions of voters concerned about election integrity deserve to be heard. I will object on January 6 on their behalf pic.twitter.com/kTaaPPJGHE
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) December 30, 2020
Cruz and Hawley continued to argue in favor of an objection to Arizona’s electors after several other Republican senators pulled their support following the Capitol incursion.
Biden lashed out at the senators Friday, likening them to Nazi Joseph Goebbels.
“It is utterly shameful. He should act like a dignified adult and retract these sick comments,” Hawley said.
“Every Democrat member of Congress should be asked to disavow these disgusting comments.”
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