The New York Times editorial board took over the paper’s @NYTOpinion Twitter handle and begged readers to call their Senators to oppose tax cut legislation yesterday.
“The NYT Editorial Board is temporarily taking over this acct. to urge the Senate to reject a tax bill that hurts the middle class and the nation’s fiscal health,” the Opinion page’s Twitter bio read.
On a typical day, the bio reads, “Editorials, columns, Op-Ed essays, letters, blog posts and more from @nytimes [email protected].”
The @nytopinion Editorial Board has been tweeting about the Senate tax bill all morning. Will you be hurt by it? Tell us how using #thetaxbillhurts
— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017
The Times updated its social media policy in October, reminding newsroom employees they “should avoid posting anything on social media that damages our reputation for neutrality and fairness.” The policy warns that the perception of bias can “undercut the credibility of the entire newsroom.”
In a flurry of tweets, the Times editorial board posted lists of local and Washington, D.C. phone numbers for a handful of Republican senators, including Kansas’ Sen. Jerry Moran.
Any temporary tax cuts for the middle class would be more than offset by the higher cost of health insurance — a good reason to vote against the tax bill. https://t.co/oSSXZ7H1H3 Tell your senators today: https://t.co/0AtZRQGvM5 #thetaxbillhurts pic.twitter.com/jqjW6cFbuJ
— New York Times Opinion (@nytopinion) November 29, 2017
Moran often is listed as a potential holdout on tax reform legislation. Moran tweeted he was concerned about a provision in the House plan to eliminate graduate student tuition waivers. The Senate bill maintains the waiver.
He voted yesterday to advance tax reform legislation, despite the lobbying efforts of the New York Times. In a 52-48 party line vote, Senators set the stage for a possible vote on tax cut legislation later this week.
In a series of tweets following the vote, Moran said he has spoken with hundreds of Kansans about tax reform.
“Today’s vote signals a significant step forward in achieving tax relief for families in Kansas and across America,” one tweet reads. “I look forward to continuing the tax debate in an open & transparent fashion. I am still discussing ways to improve this bill before final passage & expect to support a bill that grows the economy, protects taxpayers, creates jobs & helps Americans keep more of their money.”
