House Republicans gave Democrats a chance to walk-the-walk on Wednesday when they put on the floor a nonbinding resolution in support of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency many liberals had been declaring should be abolished. The opposition to ICE failed spectacularly as only 34 were willing to vote “no.” It was an embarrassing turn of events that went completely unreported on the evening newscasts of ABC, CBS, and NBC.
While the networks were sure to report on polls that showed a majority of Americans were opposed President Trump’s policy of separating families, they often neglected to mention that Democrats were on the wrong side of public opinion as well. According to a Fox News poll, only 18 percent of voters thought that ICE should be abolished.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday evening, the Fox News Channel’s Special Report ran two segments on the ICE, one for the vote and the other explaining what ICE did as an agency.
“The non-binding resolution in support of ICE required two-thirds support from House lawmakers, which it earned with a 244-35 vote,” reported chief congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel. “133 Democrats voted present to avoid being in support or oppose to the men and women enforcing the nation's immigration laws.” 18 Democrats broke with their party and joined the GOP in support of ICE.
Emanuel highlighted Republican Whip Steve Scalise of Louisiana, who tore into Democrats for being cowards:
Last year, ICE agents, they rescued or identified 518 victims of human trafficking. What if those ICE agents would have voted present that day instead of rescuing those victims of human trafficking? Luckily, Mr. Speaker, they showed up and did their job to keep America safe.
Emanuel also noted that a similar resolution was put forward by Senate Republicans but was shot down by that chamber's Democrats.
Those Democrats voted against the men and women of ICE despite their service to America as Fox News’ Gillian Turner noted in the second report. “Today ICE has over 20,000 people who work in 400 offices in the U.S. and around the world and an annual budget of approximately $6 billion,” she explained. “Now, lawmakers who oversee the agency and support its mission want the American people to know ICE is well worth the price tag.”
For that hefty price tag, America received “almost a million pounds of narcotics” seized by ICE in 2017 alone “including the deadly drugs heroin and fentanyl continuing to fuel the opioid crisis.” “Also last year, ICE arrested 143,000 criminal aliens they came are responsible for 11,000 weapons offenses, 5,000 sexual assault offenses, 2,000 kidnapping offenses, and 1,800 homicide offenses,” Turner added.
In wrapping up her report, Turner pointed out how fringe the Democratic Party’s position on ICE had become. “While many Democratic lawmakers may not see the utility of ICE, the majority of the American people do,” she reported. “A recent Fox News poll finds that by a margin greater than two-to-one American voters are against disbanding the agency.”
Instead of reporting the Democratic embarrassment, the networks provided cover by focusing on other topics such as a Brewers pitcher who said racially insensitive things when he was a teenager, as was the case for ABC and CBS. NBC hyped Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos offering space vacations.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
Fox News Channel's Special Report
July 18, 2018
6:05:49 PM EasternBRET BAIER: House Republicans have passed a measure supporting ICE, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the face of a Democratic effort to abolish the agency. We have two reports tonight. First, chief Congressional correspondent Mike Emanuel on Capitol Hill.
[Cuts to video]
MIKE EMANUEL: With calls from the left to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, House Republican leaders decided to put Democratic lawmakers on the record.
(…)
EMANUEL: The nonbinding resolution in support of ICE required two-thirds support from House lawmakers, which it earned with a 244-35 vote. Democrats used the opportunity to hammer the family separation issue.
(…)
EMANUEL: 133 Democrats voted present to avoid being in support or oppose to the men and women enforcing the nation's immigration laws. The House majority whip blasted Democrats for lacking courage.
STEVE SCALISE: Last year, ICE agents, they rescued or identified 518 victims of human trafficking. What if those ICE agents would have voted present that day instead of rescuing those victims of human trafficking? Luckily, Mr. Speaker, they showed up and did their job to keep America safe.
EMANUEL: And Republicans called on Democrats to stand up to their liberal base.
(…)
EMANUEL: House Republican leadership considered bringing up a measure sponsored by three House Democrats calling for abolishing ICE.
KEVIN MCCARTHY: They want the glory of introducing a bill to the far left of their own party, but they didn't have the guts to accept the consequences.
[Cuts back to live]
EMANUEL: Late today, Senate Republicans tried to call off a similar resolution regarding the men and women who carry out ICE's mission and enforcing the nation's immigration laws. It was blocked by Senate Democrats. Bret.
BAIER: Mike Emanuel live on the Hill. Mike, thanks. Let's take a closer look now at what ICE is, what its people do, and the future of that agency. Here's correspondent Gillian Turner.
[Cuts to video]
(…)
GILLIAN TURNER: It has been a tough few weeks for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency known as ICE. Now, defenders of the of the embattled government agency, including its recently departed leader are fighting back.
(…)
TURNER: Today ice has over 20,000 people who work in 400 offices in the U.S. and around the world and an annual budget of approximately $6 billion. Now, lawmakers who oversee the agency and support its mission want the American people to know ICE is well worth the price tag.
(…)
TURNER: In 2017 alone, ICE seized almost a million pounds of narcotics, including the deadly drugs heroin and fentanyl continuing to fuel the opioid crisis. Also last year, ICE arrested 143,000 criminal aliens they came are responsible for 11,000 weapons offenses, 5,000 sexual assault offenses, 2,000 kidnapping offenses, and 1,800 homicide offenses.
[Cuts back to live]
While many Democratic lawmakers may not see the utility of ICE, the majority of the American people do. A recent Fox News poll finds that by a margin greater than two-to-one American voters are against disbanding the agency.
(…)
