In yet another example of bias by omission, the “big three” of ABC, CBS, and NBC all refused to cover on Tuesday night a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing from hours earlier devoted to sanctuary cities and murders committed by illegal immigrants who benefitted from the policy.
As it often does, the Fox News Channel’s Special Report was there to pick up the pieces left by their network equivalents with a full segment on Tuesday’s program by chief congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel.
Host Bret Baier introduced Emanuel’s piece by explaining that “Republicans in Congress are taking a hard look at the policies of so-called sanctuary cities, places that essentially ignore federal immigration law.”
Baier also took note of Jim Steinle’s testimony and how he’s “trying to do something about” sanctuary cities after her daughter “paid for San Francisco’s policy with her life.”
Taking notice of how the murder of Jim’s daughter Kate’s “by an illegal immigrant with a long criminal record” took place three weeks ago, Emanuel reported that Jim “was on Capitol Hill calling for action” in favor of a law named after his late daughter: “Kate's Law is a bill being proposed in her memory that would establish a mandatory five-year prison sentence for illegals who re-enter the U.S. after being deported.”
After Emanuel also acknowledged the case of Josh Wilkerson’s murder and testimony from his mother Laura, the FNC correspondent cited the heated reaction from Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz and how “[t]he Steinle murder brought the issue of sanctuary cities to the national spotlight” as they “only offer minimal cooperation to the federal government on immigration matters.”
Footnoting what comes next, Emanuel concluded later that “[t]he House is expected to vote this week on legislation to withhold federal funding from states and cities that resist turning over illegals to federal authorities.”
Instead of continuing to cover this issue, the CBS Evening News devoted a news brief to whales at Japanese zoo spraying onlookers with water to help cool off from the warm temperatures that country has been facing. On ABC’s World News Tonight, one portion of the “Instant Index” segment was spent hyping viral video of a baby instantly waking up when the song “Uptown Funk” came on the radio.
Rounding out the networks, NBC Nightly News found it pertinent to report to viewers that the findings of a new study that concluded men who become fathers are at risk of gaining weight.
The relevant portions of the transcript from FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier on July 21 can be found below.
FNC’s Special Report with Bret Baier
July 21, 2015
6:23 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE CAPTION: Sanctuary Cities Debate]
BRET BAIER: Republicans in Congress are taking a hard look at the policies of so-called sanctuary cities, places that essentially ignore federal immigration law. Tonight, the father of a young woman who paid for San Francisco's policy with her life is trying to do something about them. Chief congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel is on Capitol Hill tonight.
JIM STEINLE: We feel if Kate's Law saves one daughter, one son, a mother, a father, Kate's death won't be in vain.
MIKE EMANUEL: Three weeks after Kate Steinle's murder by an illegal immigrant with a long criminal record, her father Jim was on Capitol Hill calling for action. Kate's Law is a bill being proposed in her memory that would establish a mandatory five-year prison sentence for illegals who re-enter the U.S. after being deported. Laura Wilkerson's son Josh was beaten and burned to death by a young man brought to this country illegally, a so-called dreamer.
LAURA WILKERSON: I want you to know that our family is broken forever. I want you to do something about it. Every one of you sitting here is in a position to do something.
EMANUEL: Texas Senator Ted Cruz, a presidential candidate, blasted the immigration and customs enforcement director saying a huge problem is the Obama administration's failure to enforce the law.
(....)
EMANUEL: The Steinle murder brought the issue of sanctuary cities to the national spotlight. Communities which only offer minimal cooperation to the federal government on immigration matters. California Democratic Senator Diane Feinstein is a former mayor of San Francisco, a sanctuary city, and she blasted the sheriff's office.
DEMOCRATIC SENATOR DIANE FEINSTEIN (Calif.): The man who killed Kate is a classic case of multiple felonies and prior deportations and a simple phone call would have been enough.
EMANUEL: But that didn't happen.
STEINLE: Why a shot rang out, Kate fell, and looked to me and said, “help me, dad.” Those are the last words I will ever hear from my daughter.
EMANUEL: The House is expected to vote this week on legislation to withhold federal funding from states and cities that resist turning over illegals to federal authorities.
