After the passage of the pork-laden atrocity known as the $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill passed the Senate on a party-line vote on Saturday, ABC spent part of Sunday’s Good Morning America sneering at Republicans for not going along with the package President Biden refused to negotiate with them on. They also warned that Democratic Senator Joe Manchin (WV) would also be a problem since he came from a state that voted for former President Trump.
White House correspondent Mary Alice Parks began her doting segment by touting former President Obama’s praise, and complained about the difficulty in getting it passed:
Democrats are feeling really good this morning. Even former President Obama heaping praise on his former vice president. Tweeting last night that the bill helps “improve the lives of families across the country” and this is why “elections matter.” But Democrats pushed this bill through Congress on their own without Republican support and they barely kept their ranks together.
Outside of a stray comment about Republicans “arguing the bill is too much government spending and some funds are duplicative,” Parks continued ABC’s cover-up of the wasteful pork and Democratic pet projects the bill threw billions too. There was also no mention or explanation of the billions in unspent funds from previous relief bills.
Of course, Parks deceptively spun the situation as Republicans being against “$1,400 direct payments to millions of Americans and it allocates billions more for nutrition programs, rental assistance, small businesses, vaccine programs, and schools.” The intent was to suggest the GOP was fine with watching people suffer.
“This was supposed to be the easy one,” Parks whined as she decried Republicans for not just going along with passing the bill. “President Biden, rather, had wanted Republican support and he just did not get it. And obviously, with the rest of his agenda, legislation only gets more complicated from here.”
Roughly seven minutes later, chief global affairs correspondent Martha Raddatz joined Parks in bemoaning the GOP. “You know, as Mary Alice pointed out, this was supposed to be the easy one. If you can't get any Republican support for a COVID relief bill in the middle of a pandemic, look out going forward,” she told co-anchor Whit Johnson.
Back in reality, though Biden had met with some moderate Republican senators after taking office, he refused to budge on his demands. He only dropped some of the more radical provisions in the bill once it became apparent he had lost Manchin’s support. And Raddatz wasn’t happy about that.
She even warned viewers the Senator would be a problem going forward:
Now, Joe Manchin really was at the center of the storm, he brought the Senate to a standstill for about ten hours. You also have to remember about Joe Manchin, West Virginia, heavily supported Donald Trump and he is a Democrat. He has talked about bipartisanship but it doesn't look like they're going to get it at this point.
According to ABC, bipartisanship meant just being a liberal Democrat.
ABC’s irritation with Republicans and Senator Manchin was made possible because of lucrative sponsorships from Gold Bond and Progressive, which got a special shout out when they went to break. Their contact information is linked so you can tell them about the biased news they fund.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s Good Morning America
March 7, 2021
8:06:07 a.m. Eastern(…)
MARY ALICE PARKS: Democrats are feeling really good this morning. Even former President Obama heaping praise on his former vice president. Tweeting last night that the bill helps “improve the lives of families across the country” and this is why “elections matter.” But Democrats pushed this bill through Congress on their own without Republican support and they barely kept their ranks together.
[Cuts to video]
(…)
PARKS: Democratic senators applauding their final vote. And hours later, supporters clapping for President Biden, too.
The end now in sight for Democrats, as they push President Biden's massive COVID relief package through Congress. After a narrow party-line vote in the Senate, the bill now heads back to the House for final passage. Democratic leaders there confident they can get the bill signed into law this week. Biden hopeful stimulus checks for families can then go out by the end of the month. The President emotional Saturday, again making his case for the bill.
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Did you ever imagine in the United States of America you'd see lines literally miles long, kids, folks in their automobiles waiting for a box of food to put in their trunk.
PARKS: The bill would send $1,400 direct payments to millions of Americans and it allocates billions more for nutrition programs, rental assistance, small businesses, vaccine programs, and schools.
(…)
PARKS: Biden unable to secure even one Republican vote in the House or the Senate. The GOP sticking together, arguing the bill is too much government spending and some funds are duplicative.
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): The Senate has never spent $2 trillion in a more haphazard way or through a less rigorous process.
[Cuts back to live]
PARKS: So, the House hoping to pass this bill finally early this week. Progressives there signaling they're not thrilled but okay with the compromises in the Senate bill. So, we're not expecting a lot of drama in the House. But this was supposed to be the easy one. President Obiden – President Bama -- President Biden, rather, had wanted Republican support and he just did not get it. And obviously, with the rest of his agenda, legislation only gets more complicated from here.
(…)
8:14:22 a.m. Eastern
WHIT JOHNSON: Speaking of the pandemic though, I want to go back to that massive COVID relief bill. Not one Republican senator voted for it. And Democrats had to make some changes just to satisfy their own ranks. Specifically Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat of West Virginia, who you’re interviewing later on this morning. It's the first major legislative win for President Biden, but how does this partisan vote set the tone for him politically going forward?
MARTHA RADDATZ: You know, as Mary Alice pointed out, this was supposed to be the easy one. If you can't get any Republican support for a COVID relief bill in the middle of a pandemic, look out going forward.
Now, Joe Manchin really was at the center of the storm, he brought the Senate to a standstill for about ten hours. You also have to remember about Joe Manchin, West Virginia, heavily supported Donald Trump and he is a Democrat. He has talked about bipartisanship but it doesn't look like they're going to get it at this point.
JOHNSON: Democrats can't afford to lose one senator on any legislation going forward.
(…)
