If you heard anyone from the media praise the House of Representatives passing health care reform as a “milestone” or “historic,” you may be stuck in 2009. Instead, this year’s Republican health care bill was met with words like “big risk” and “extreme.”
“A critical milestone was reached overnight in the government's big overhaul of the nation's health care system,” Lester Holt announced on NBC Nightly News, November 8, 2009. “Today the president and many of his fellow Democrats are celebrating last night's passage of the House – by the House of a health care reform bill.
The next night, Nightly News correspondent Kelly O’Donnell echoed the same word, “For the House this was a major milestone. Democrats like to use the word "history" because it's been four decades since the last sweeping change to health care; that was Medicare. For Speaker Nancy Pelosi, it was a win with just two votes to spare.”
Over on ABC, Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts called ObamaCare a “historic health care overhaul” on November 9. As if reliving his stint as White House Communications Director, This Week anchor George Stephanopoulos boosted “At 11:15 last night the gavel came down and with only two votes to spare the House had passed reform of health care. President Obama summed it up in three words, this is history.”
On cable news, Rick Sanchez on CNN Newsroom on November 9 reported that members of Congress were “there to vote on a historic health care”
On CBS Morning News on November 6, CBS anchor Michelle Gielan said “Switching gears. In Washington, Democratic leaders predict passage of a historic health care reform bill.” Two days later on CBS Evening News, anchor Russ Mitchell reported “Tonight, after a last night`s historic but narrow approval in the House, health care reform moves to the Senate where it faces an uncertain future.”
