Two days after Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) went on Fox News Sunday and essentially doomed the Biden Administration’s Build Back Better bill from passing the Senate and being signed into law, the leftist media have melted down. This was true of the nightly broadcasts as well. On Tuesday night, NBC Nightly News dedicated an entire segment to fear-mongering about how America’s children will go without food or new clothes because of the heartlessness of Manchin and Senate Republicans.
NBC Nightly News led off the segment with anchor Lester Holt declaring: “President Biden's social spending plan in limbo, millions of American families are losing a critical financial lifeline.” Holt then handed the segment off to NBC’s senior business correspondent Stephanie Ruhle.
Ruhle led off her portion of the segment by interviewing a seemingly middle-class mother named Connie Ciara:
STEPHANIE RUHLE: We met Connie Ciara right as the child tax credit was increased and changed from a once-a-year benefit to a monthly check.
CIARA: If we’re getting it every month, we can use it towards all the little things that are affecting us now.
RUHLE: Six months later she says its really helped her two daughters.
CIARA: That money, it made a difference on what we could get for our family.
RUHLE: What did you spend that money on?
CIARA: Back to school clothes, hair cuts, um shoes.
RUHLE: The change in the tax credit was part of last March's pandemic relief bill. Families received $300 a month for every child under the age of six, and $250 for those up to 17, phased out as families earn more.
Ruhle then spoke to Megan Curan, a policy director at Columbia University Center on Poverty & Social Policy who claimed: “Families in every single state are using this child tax credit payment for food. It is the most common use.”
Having laid the foundation by pulling at viewers’ heartstrings, Ruhle then blamed Manchin and Republicans for killing the Child Tax Credit (even though Democrats were the ones who linked it with the rest of Build Back Better):
The Biden Administration wants to extend the Child Tax Credit for another year as part of the Build Back Better Act. But, not all are on board. Some Republicans and even Democratic Senator Joe Manchin raising concerns about the cost of the tax credit, putting the entire bill in jeopardy.
While NBC was busy smearing Manchin and Republicans, perhaps they should be looking to Democratic buddies and ask them why they decided to put the tax credit in the extremely controversial bill that didn’t have support from moderates.
This segment of NBC Nightly News trying to gaslight Americans into thinking the Child Tax Credit will prevent children from starving was brought to you by Fidelity and Liberty Mutual. Their information is linked so you can let them know about the biased news they fund.
To read the relevant transcript of this segment click "expand":
NBC Nightly News
12/21/2021
7:21:35PMLESTER HOLT: Also tonight, President Biden's social spending plan in limbo, millions of American families are losing a critical financial lifeline. With more on that, here's Stephanie Ruhle.
[cuts to news package]
CONNIE CIARA: Good morning girls!
STEPHANIE RUHLE: We met Connie Ciara right as the child tax credit was increased and changed from a once-a-year benefit to a monthly check.
CIARA: If we’re getting it every month, we can use it towards all the little things that are affecting us now.
RUHLE: Six months later she says its really helped her two daughters.
CIARA: That money, made a difference on what we could get for our family.
RUHLE: What did you spend that money on?
CIARA: Back to school clothes, hair cuts, um shoes.
RUHLE: The change in the tax credit was part of last March's pandemic relief bill. Families received $300 a month for every child under the age of six, and $250 for those up to 17, phased out as families earned more.
MEGAN CURAN (POLICY DIRECTOR AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CENTER ON POVERTY & SOCIAL POLICY): Families in every single state are using this child tax credit payment for food. It is the most common use.
RUHLE: The Biden Administration wants to extend the Child Tax Credit for another year as part of the Build Back Better Act. But, not all are on board. Some Republicans and even Democratic Senator Joe Manchin raising concerns about the cost of the tax credit, putting the entire bill in jeopardy.
SENATOR JOE MANCHIN: I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation.
RUHLE: Now President Biden says he plans to continue negotiations with Manchin.
WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JEN PSAKI: We're going to work with anybody who’s interested in taking steps to lower costs for the American people, whether it’s on child care, or elder care, or health care.
RUHLE: The final checks have gone out to families. More than 61 million children have benefitted. Last month alone, the tax credit kept nearly 4 million from poverty.
CURAN: That just to put in perspective is sort of unprecedented levels of child poverty reduction that we’ve seen in the U.S in general and especially through a single policy.
RUHLE: Unless there's an extension, the new year will bring new challenges for families like Connie’s.
CIARA: I think we'll have to figure out a way to cut back in other aspects.
RUHLE: Stephanie Ruhle, NBC News.
