 ARE THEY SERIOUS? Here’s The Insane Thing Republicans Did Instead Of Passing Zika Funding Last WeekThis week marked a particularly shameful level of the kind of Republican obstruction that has now become the norm. As reports came in that Zika had hit the United States with a vengeance, a crucial spending bill that would have allocated funds to fight the devastating illness was derailed. Having ignored the request by President Obama at the advice of disease scientists for $1.9 billion for research and prevention, Republicans offered first just half of that  then just a third.The sheer heartlessness astounded even some among the Republican Party. Senator Marco Rubio, whose state of Florida is ground zero for the Zika virus, gave a strongly worded condemnation of his colleagues  actions on Capitol Hill. The rest of the country merely braced for what is going to be a very scary summer.But while Republicans once again proved they have absolutely no interest in fulfilling even basic levels of governance, they were busy wasting everyone s time on something else. Given the stakes of the spending bill they didn t pass, what they did do is especially offensive.Just as the House was derailing the Zika funding (and an energy and water bill for that matter), they were drafting up a petition to demand the Library of Congress go back to using the degrading term  Illegal Alien  to refer to undocumented immigrants. That s how they spent their work week.Republicans on a powerful House panel Tuesday narrowly defended a tea party-fueled move to tell the Library of Congress how to label immigrants living in the country illegally.The GOP move is designed to force the Library of Congress to retain the term  illegal alien  for cataloging and search purposes, reversing the library s plan to replace  illegal alien  with less prejudicial terms like  noncitizens  or  unauthorized immigration. The Library of Congress has previously explained to Republicans that using the term  illegal alien  in its records is both offensive and confusing. For one thing, Library employees pointed out, the term  alien  could mean a space alien. Nobody is going to confuse an  unauthorized immigrant  with ET.This year, Congress scheduled itself for the least amount of workdays of any congressional term in modern history. Just 111 days will be spent  legislating  (and let s use that term loosely here). This is partly because Republicans have come to the conclusion that the best way to reduce government is to make it dysfunctional, but the other reason is that Republican leaders have realized that with an election coming up, their fanatical anti-government base will abandon them if they even so much as think about reaching across the aisle. Even for something as important as funding the fight against a virus that causes severe birth defects. So instead they ve taken to sitting on their hands. Cowardly? Craven? Cynical? All of the above?It s comforting to know that in the short time that they do spend on lawmaking, Republicans have their priorities in order. Zika funding? No. Supreme Court confirmation hearings? Nah. Changing the semantics of the cataloging and search functions in the Library of Congress so as to be intentionally derogatory? You better believe it.Featured image via Win McNamee/Getty ImagesNews
are they serious here the insane thing republicans did instead of passing nika funding last weekthis week marked particularly shameful level kind republican obstruction become norm as reports came nika hit united states vengeance crucial spending bill would allocated funds fight devastating illness derailed having ignored request president obama advice disease scientists billion research prevention republicans offered first half sheer heartlessness sounded even among republican party senator marco rubio whose state florida ground zero nika virus gave strongly worded condemnation colleagues actions capitol hill the rest country merely braced going scary republicans proved absolutely interest fulfilling even basic levels governance busy wasting everyone time something else given stakes spending bill pass especially house detailing nika funding energy water bill matter drafting petition demand library congress go back using degrading term illegal alien refer undocumented immigrants that spent work powerful house panel tuesday narrowly defended tea move tell library congress label immigrants living country gop move designed force library congress retain term illegal alien cataloging search purposes reversing library plan replace illegal alien less prejudicial terms like noncitizens unauthorized immigration the library congress previously explained republicans using term illegal alien records offensive confusing for one thing library employees pointed term alien could mean space alien nobody going confuse unauthorized immigrant year congress scheduled least amount weekdays congressional term modern history just days spent legislation let use term loosely this partly republicans come conclusion best way reduce government make dysfunctional reason republican leaders realized election coming fanatical base abandon even much think reaching across aisle even something important funding fight virus causes severe birth defects so instead taken sitting hands cowardly raven cynical all it conforming know short time spend lawmaking republicans priorities order nika funding no supreme court confirmation hearings nah changing semantics cataloging search functions library congress intentionally derogatory you better believe image via win imagenes
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT:  ARE THEY SERIOUS? Here’s The Insane Thing Republicans Did Instead Of Passing Zika Funding Last WeekThis week marked a particularly shameful level of the kind of Republican obstruction that has now become the norm. As reports came in that Zika had hit the United States with a vengeance, a crucial spending bill that would have allocated funds to fight the devastating illness was derailed. Having ignored the request by President Obama at the advice of disease scientists for $1.9 billion for research and prevention, Republicans offered first just half of that  then just a third.The sheer heartlessness astounded even some among the Republican Party. Senator Marco Rubio, whose state of Florida is ground zero for the Zika virus, gave a strongly worded condemnation of his colleagues  actions on Capitol Hill. The rest of the country merely braced for what is going to be a very scary summer.But while Republicans once again proved they have absolutely no interest in fulfilling even basic levels of governance, they were busy wasting everyone s time on something else. Given the stakes of the spending bill they didn t pass, what they did do is especially offensive.Just as the House was derailing the Zika funding (and an energy and water bill for that matter), they were drafting up a petition to demand the Library of Congress go back to using the degrading term  Illegal Alien  to refer to undocumented immigrants. That s how they spent their work week.Republicans on a powerful House panel Tuesday narrowly defended a tea party-fueled move to tell the Library of Congress how to label immigrants living in the country illegally.The GOP move is designed to force the Library of Congress to retain the term  illegal alien  for cataloging and search purposes, reversing the library s plan to replace  illegal alien  with less prejudicial terms like  noncitizens  or  unauthorized immigration. The Library of Congress has previously explained to Republicans that using the term  illegal alien  in its records is both offensive and confusing. For one thing, Library employees pointed out, the term  alien  could mean a space alien. Nobody is going to confuse an  unauthorized immigrant  with ET.This year, Congress scheduled itself for the least amount of workdays of any congressional term in modern history. Just 111 days will be spent  legislating  (and let s use that term loosely here). This is partly because Republicans have come to the conclusion that the best way to reduce government is to make it dysfunctional, but the other reason is that Republican leaders have realized that with an election coming up, their fanatical anti-government base will abandon them if they even so much as think about reaching across the aisle. Even for something as important as funding the fight against a virus that causes severe birth defects. So instead they ve taken to sitting on their hands. Cowardly? Craven? Cynical? All of the above?It s comforting to know that in the short time that they do spend on lawmaking, Republicans have their priorities in order. Zika funding? No. Supreme Court confirmation hearings? Nah. Changing the semantics of the cataloging and search functions in the Library of Congress so as to be intentionally derogatory? You better believe it.Featured image via Win McNamee/Getty ImagesNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: are they serious here the insane thing republicans did instead of passing nika funding last weekthis week marked particularly shameful level kind republican obstruction become norm as reports came nika hit united states vengeance crucial spending bill would allocated funds fight devastating illness derailed having ignored request president obama advice disease scientists billion research prevention republicans offered first half sheer heartlessness sounded even among republican party senator marco rubio whose state florida ground zero nika virus gave strongly worded condemnation colleagues actions capitol hill the rest country merely braced going scary republicans proved absolutely interest fulfilling even basic levels governance busy wasting everyone time something else given stakes spending bill pass especially house detailing nika funding energy water bill matter drafting petition demand library congress go back using degrading term illegal alien refer undocumented immigrants that spent work powerful house panel tuesday narrowly defended tea move tell library congress label immigrants living country gop move designed force library congress retain term illegal alien cataloging search purposes reversing library plan replace illegal alien less prejudicial terms like noncitizens unauthorized immigration the library congress previously explained republicans using term illegal alien records offensive confusing for one thing library employees pointed term alien could mean space alien nobody going confuse unauthorized immigrant year congress scheduled least amount weekdays congressional term modern history just days spent legislation let use term loosely this partly republicans come conclusion best way reduce government make dysfunctional reason republican leaders realized election coming fanatical base abandon even much think reaching across aisle even something important funding fight virus causes severe birth defects so instead taken sitting hands cowardly raven cynical all it conforming know short time spend lawmaking republicans priorities order nika funding no supreme court confirmation hearings nah changing semantics cataloging search functions library congress intentionally derogatory you better believe image via win imagenes