The Latino networks opened the week´s news cycle by shilling for the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act”. Univision anchor Carolina Sarassa even insisted that it “adheres to (Biden’s) promise not to increase taxes on families or companies that earn less than $400,000 a year”, as opposed to what experts have warned will happen.
Yet, while Telemundo, Univision, and CNN En Español, inflated their stories with details about how the bill will tackle health, climate change, and impose a minimum 15% tax on corporations, they were tightlipped about the $80 billion assigned to hire 87,000 new IRS agents.
Watch as Sarassa and Univision D.C. correspondent Edwin Pitti breathlessly endorse the bill, which they celebrated as a “significant victory”, while skimming over damaging information with a vague “different federal programs will be paid for with the proposed 15% corporate tax rate”:
CAROLINA SARASSA: And in more from the White House, President Joe Biden declares victory. I'm talking about a project focused on several things: health care, climate change, and taxes, among other topics of interest passed by the Senate. However, it is quite far from his ambitious proposal, but which adheres to (Biden’s) promise not to increase taxes on families or companies that earn less than $400,000 a year. Edwin Pitti is in the capital with more information. Edwin, how are you? Go ahead.
EDWIN PITTI: That's right, how are you. Good afternoon. Expectations are rising after the extended debate in the Senate that ran throughout the weekend, which resulted in the 50-50 passage on a party-line vote of the “Inflation Reduction Act”, giving President Joe Biden a significant victory.
But to achieve this, it was necessary for Vice President Kamala Harris to arrive to break the tie, since no Republican wanted to support it.
But speaking of what this bill includes, we are talking about the fact that Medicare is now going to have the power to negotiate the price of medications, and that directly benefits older adults with Medicare since they are going to be able to somehow not have to pay more than $2,000 a year in drug costs. We are also talking about a (minimum) 15% corporate tax rate, and that will help pay for different federal programs.
Getting into climate matters, we are talking about a historic investment- $369 billion dollars to fight climate change. We are talking about also seeking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by the end of this decade. In addition, (the bill) seeks to give credits to people or companies that use solar panels, or buy electric cars or vehicles.
When could we expect this to pass? As soon as later this week, specifically on Friday, when House members return to Washington from their recess, they pass it with the Democratic majority that they have, and then it is signed into law by President Joe Biden. This is Edwin Pitti reporting from Washington, back to you in the studio.
BORJA VOCES: Well, thank you very much, Edwin, for the report.
Why is this omitted bit of information so important for the viewers of the Hispanic news channels? Because the proposed new IRS army of agents' sights will not be on the rich, Acela-corridor elite. It is far likelier that audits will target the poor and middle-class, small businesses, and last, but not least, their main audience: undocumented migrants that pay taxes through the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
But why talk about that when what matters is that people struggling to put food on their table will get credits “to use solar panels, or buy electric cars or vehicles? This thanks to a historic investment of $369 billion dollars to fight climate change! (It will be interesting to see who gets the contracts for “fighting climate change”- and we will be watching).
So, as the so-called “Inflation Reduction Act” continues to make its way through Congress, we can expect more propaganda to come out of the Latino nets that mirrors the mainstream corporate media; news reporting that increasingly conforms to political agendas instead of true, honest journalism.
If this kind of biased reporting concerns you, please let advertisers like Applebee´s know.
