After previously boasting about Democratic Party pandering (kneeling while wearing marks of the slave trade) and decrying President Trump’s executive order on police reforms, ABC’s World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News completely ignored the Senate GOP’s Justice Act, a package of police reforms authored by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) released on Wednesday. And while the CBS Evening News mentioned the bill, they only spent 22 seconds on it. Thus, all of them failed to mention Senator Dick Durbin’s (D-IL) racist sniping at Scott.
Instead of dedicating airtime to Scott’s reform bill, ABC and NBC each spent plenty of airtime gushing about John Bolton’s new anti-Trump book. ABC gave it five minutes and 31 seconds over two segments, while NBC allotted one segment at two minutes and 14 seconds. CBS also had two segments totaling four minutes and 25 seconds with one wondering if new impeachment charges would be filed against the President.
CBS anchor Norah O’Donnell couldn’t get through mentioning Scott’s Justice Act fast enough:
Today, Senate Republicans unveiled a police reform bill that would discourage but not ban tactics like chokeholds and no-knock warrants. Democrats have a competing version in the House. Now, the new plan comes a day after President Trump issued an executive order on police reform that critics say doesn't address larger concerns about racial bias in policing.
She glossed over what was in the bill and failed to mention what the name was, who wrote it, and completely ignored Durbin’s racially charged assertion that the bill was a “token” and “half-hearted.” Plus, the way she wrapped up the news brief made it seem as though Scott’s bill was an attempt to make up for Trump’s executive order.
Fortunately, Fox News Channel’s Special Report wasn’t trying to hide the facts from their audience. Chief White House correspondent John Roberts reported: “Among other things, the Justice Act would include enhanced use of force reporting to the FBI, restrictions on chokeholds, track no-knock warrants, and commissions to study policing and race.”
He also played a clip of Durbin’s racist comment and Scott’s retort:
ROBERTS: Democrats said the bill doesn't go far enough. But Senator Dick Durbin drew fire from Scott, when he said this:
DURBIN (D-IL): Let's not do something that's a token, half-hearted approach.
SCOTT: I don’t know what he meant, but I can tell you that this day, to have those comments, again, hurts the soul.
“Durbin later apologized for the comment,” Roberts later noted.
In closing out his report, Roberts wasn’t sure about the future of Scott’s bill. “The fate of the Senate bill is much more uncertain. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell today urged Democrats to work together with Republicans. But Brett, there's not a whole lot of time for negotiation between now and the beginning of the Fourth of July recess,” he reported.
The nets had previously noted that Senate Republicans were working on a bill, but they couldn’t be bothered to cover it when it was finally released.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
June 17, 2020
6:48:36 p.m. Eastern [22 seconds]NORAH O’DONNELL: Today, Senate Republicans unveiled a police reform bill that would discourage but not ban tactics like chokeholds and no-knock warrants. Democrats have a competing version in the House. Now, the new plan comes a day after President Trump issued an executive order on police reform that critics say doesn't address larger concerns about racial bias in policing.
Fox News Channel’s Special Report
Special Report
June 17, 2020(…)
JOHN ROBERTS: President Trump was also watching the action on Capitol Hill today as Senate Republicans, led by Tim Scott of South Carolina, outlined their efforts at police reform.
SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): Too often we are having a discussion in this nation about, are you supporting the law enforcement community or are you supporting communities of color? This is a false binary choice.
ROBERTS: Among other things, the Justice Act would include enhanced use of force reporting to the FBI, restrictions on chokeholds, track no-knock warrants, and commissions to study policing and race. Democrats said the bill doesn't go far enough. But Senator Dick Durbin drew fire from Scott, when he said this:
SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-IL): Let's not do something that's a token, half-hearted approach.
SCOTT: I don’t know what he meant, but I can tell you that this day, to have those comments, again, hurts the soul.
[Cuts back to live]
ROBERTS: Durbin later apologized for the comment. The House Judiciary Committee today went through the process of marking up the Democrats’ police reform bill. It is scheduled for a vote on June the 25th. The fate of the Senate bill is much more uncertain. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell today urged Democrats to work together with Republicans. But Brett, there's not a whole lot of time for negotiation between now and the beginning of the Fourth of July recess.
