On Monday, both NBC’s Today and CBS This Morning promoted Democrats calling on Congress to cut its recess short in order to approve federal funding to combat the Zika virus. However, both morning shows ignored the fact that Democrats were the ones that blocked legislation to do just that only one month earlier.
In a report live from Miami on Today about the first mosquito transmission of the disease in the U.S., correspondent Sarah Dallof noted: “As Senate Democrats push for Congress to end its recess and approve emergency Zika funding, officials here in Miami are wasting no time, focusing on the possibility of more undiagnosed cases.”
Later in the 8 a.m. ET hour, correspondent Jo Ling Kent highlighted efforts in Texas to use drone technology to stop the spread of the virus and lamented: “But the $1.9 billion in federal aid proposed by President Obama has stalled in Congress and now Harris County says local funding is running low.”
Harris County public health director Dr. Umair Shah implored: “One way of saying it is between a rock and a hard place. This is about real people. This is about real communities. This is about impact on human beings.”
On CBS This Morning, co-host Gayle King declared: “In Florida this morning, it is all but certain that four Zika cases came from local mosquitos....In the meantime, Congress went on its summer recess without approving funds to fight Zika. Now Senate Democrats want members to cut their break short.”
In an interview that followed with National Institutes of Health director Dr. Anthony Fauci, fill-in co-host and Bloomberg Politics editor John Heilemann asked: “Dr. Fauci, as Gayle mentioned, the White House asked for a big funding, I think $1.9 billion back in February, that has not been approved. Congress is now in recess. How big a problem is it that, that money is not available to fight this disease?”
Fauci warned: “Well, it fundamentally is a big problem to begin with....we have had...to borrow money from other areas of things that we do to get our effort going. We are very soon going to completely run out of money to do that and then things are going to start to slow down. So it really is unfortunate that, that money has not been appropriated.”
King urged: “Should they come back early from break, as is being suggested?” Fauci replied: “Well, I don't know what the mechanism is gonna be, Gayle, but something needs to be done.”
On June 29, CBS This Morning reported on the congressional effort to approve Zika funding being shot down by those very same Senate Democrats. Co-host Norah O’Donnell vaguely mentioned: “A funding bill to fight Zika failed yesterday. Senate Democrats opposed the measure because it did not provide enough spending and included politically motivated language.”
Though she never explained what that “politically-motivated language” was, on ABC’s Good Morning America, news anchor Paula Faris told viewers the truth:
And a setback this morning in the battle against the Zika virus. Senate Democrats have blocked more than a $1 billion to fight the virus because of a lack of funding for Planned Parenthood in that bill. There's now a chance that no deal will be reached before Congress goes on summer vacation.
While CBS and ABC at least briefly covered the news, NBC’s Today completely ignored liberal lawmakers blocking the bill. Despite that glaring omission, NBC had no hesitation portraying Democrats as the champions of such funding during Monday’s coverage.
Here are excerpts of the August 1 reporting on NBC and CBS:
Today
7:13 AMSAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Also this morning, the fight against Zika is taking on new urgency in the wake of those recent cases in Florida that authorities say are most likely from local mosquitos. NBC’s Sarah Dallof is in Miami with this story. Sarah, good morning.
SARAH DALLOF: Good morning, Savannah. As Senate Democrats push for Congress to end its recess and approve emergency Zika funding, officials here in Miami are wasting no time, focusing on the possibility of more undiagnosed cases.
(...)
8:08 AM
JO LING KENT: Harris County [Texas] public health director Dr. Umair Shah says project Premonition is their best defense so far.
UMAIR SHAH: We say this is a game changer for us.
KENT: But the $1.9 billion in federal aid proposed by President Obama has stalled in Congress and now Harris County says local funding is running low.
SHAH: One way of saying it is between a rock and a hard place. This is about real people. This is about real communities. This is about impact on human beings.
(...)
CBS This Morning
8:05 AM
GAYLE KING: In Florida this morning, it is all but certain that four Zika cases came from local mosquitos. We’ve been reporting on the victims in the Miami area. More are expected in that region. Well over 1,600 travel-related cases are reported in the continental U.S. and Hawaii and there are more than 400 pregnant women with signs of Zika.
In the meantime, Congress went on its summer recess without approving funds to fight Zika. Now Senate Democrats want members to cut their break short. Dr. Anthony Fauci leads the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, he’s in Bethesda, Maryland this morning and joins us.
(...)
8:07 AM
JOHN HEILEMANN: Dr. Fauci, as Gayle mentioned, the White House asked for a big funding, I think $1.9 billion back in February, that has not been approved. Congress is now in recess. How big a problem is it that, that money is not available to fight this disease?
ANTHONY FAUCI: Well, it fundamentally is a big problem to begin with. But what’s happening now as we're getting now into August, the beginning of August, we have had – when I say “we,” I mean the CDC and the NIH and others – have had to borrow money from other areas of things that we do to get our effort going. We are very soon going to completely run out of money to do that and then things are going to start to slow down. So it really is unfortunate that, that money has not been appropriated.
KING: Should they come back early from break, as is being suggested?
FAUCI: Well, I don't know what the mechanism is gonna be, Gayle, but something needs to be done.
(...)
