The journalists at NBC’s Today show on Wednesday offered silence as Senate Democrats held up over $1 billion in Zika funding because of concern for Planned Parenthood. The program never mentioned the awkward development and it’s not as though there wasn’t time, given the show’s four hour length. Despite Tuesday’s terrorist bombing in Istanbul, Today still managed four minutes and 34 seconds on not-so important “summer beauty trends.”
Over on CBS This Morning, co-host Norah O’Donnell noted that “the funding bill to fight Zika failed yesterday.” But when it came to a reason, she only vaguely noted, “Senate Democrats opposed the measure because it did not provide enough spending and included politically motivated language.” What, exactly, is “politically motivated language?”
O’Donnell didn’t say in her 26 second report. Good Morning America’s Paula Faris did a better job. Her news brief was only 12 seconds, but she explained:
PAULA FARIS: 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.
All three evening newscasts on Tuesday skipped the move from Senate Democrats.
The Hill on Tuesday highlighted Republican reaction to the blocking of $1.1 billion in funding:
[Senate Majority Leader Mitch] McConnell slammed Democrats on Tuesday, saying their current position is "partisan politics."
"They might like to pretend this Zika control measure is woefully inadequate, but Senate Democrats are all on record supporting this level of funding," he said. "It's really puzzling to hear Democrats claim to be advocates for women's health measures when they are the ones trying to block the Zika legislation."
Transcripts of the two news briefs can be found below:
GMA
6/29/16
8:05:42 to 8:05:54
12 secondsPAULA FARIS: 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.
CBS This Morning
6/29/15
7:35:12 to 7:35:38
26 secondsNORAH O’DONNELL: The Tampa Bay Times reports on Florida's first birth defect linked to Zika. The baby has microcephaly, which can cause an abnormally small head. The mother got the virus in her native Haiti. This infant could potentially be the nation’s fifth with a Zika birth defect. All the cases are travel-related. 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.
