Despite coverage on all three networks of Congress overriding President Obama’s veto of legislation to allow 9/11 families to sue Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, only Thursday’s CBS This Morning mentioned the fact that Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential running mate Tim Kaine didn’t bother to show up for the vote. NBC and ABC both avoided the Virginia Senator’s absence.
After a full report aired on This Morning detailing how Congress delivered a “sweeping rebuke” to the President, co-host Charlie Rose offered a scant 16 seconds to Kaine not voting: “Two senators, Tim Kaine and Bernie Sanders, did not vote on the override. They were both campaigning for Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani blasted Clinton’s running mate, saying, quote, ‘Tim Kaine...was obviously afraid to show up to work today and stand with these Americans.’”
Kaine was indeed campaigning for Clinton at the time, but he was hardly across the country. As Larry O’Connor reported on Hot Air, the Democratic vice presidential nominee was at an event only 10 miles from Capitol Hill, in Alexandria, Virginia.
<<< Please consider helping NewsBusters financially with your tax-deductible contribution today >>>
<<< Thank you for your support! >>>
While the legislation in question easily passed by a 97-1 margin, it was a closely-watched vote and the first time in Obama’s presidency that his veto was overridden. Kaine missing such an important moment in the Senate should have been news on every network.
Senate attendance was certainly a major concern of NBC and ABC last October, when both hyped a hit piece against Republican Florida Senator and then-presidential candidate Marco Rubio for missing votes while on the campaign trail.
Here is a full transcript of the September 29 report on CBS This Morning:
7:06 AM ET
GAYLE KING: President Obama says Congress made a mistake overriding one of his vetoes for the first time. The House and Senate voted overwhelmingly yesterday to allow U.S. citizens to sue foreign governments in cases of terrorism. Relatives of 9/11 victims applaud the move, while military and intelligence officials say it could harm Americans abroad. Margaret Brennan is at the White House with the impact of this new law. Margaret, good morning.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning. Well, the White House called this the most embarrassing thing that the Senate has done in decades, but for the 9/11 families, this was a victory long overdue.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Historic Veto to Override; Congress Defies Obama, Approving 9/11 Lawsuit Bill]
UNIDENTIFIED MAN [MEMBER OF CONGRESS]: The bill is passed. The objections of the President to the contrary notwithstanding.
BRENNAN: In a sweeping rebuke, congress overrode President Obama's veto and gave the families of those killed on September 11th the legal right to sue Saudi Arabia for any alleged assistance to the terrorists. 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi-born. For Brett Eagleson, who lost his father in the World Trade Center attacks, the victory was bittersweet.
BRETT EAGLESON: I haven't really been able to do anything in order to honor my dad and helping get this passed into law, I feel like, would make him really proud.
BRENNAN: But on CNN, Wednesday, the President said emotional appeals are what convinced Congress to enact a misguided law.
BARACK OBAMA: I wish Congress here had done what’s hard. I didn't expect it because voting – if you're perceived as voting against 9/11 families right before an election, not surprisingly, that’s a hard vote for people to take. But it would have been the right thing to do.
BRENNAN: President Obama had vetoed the bill last week, saying it would make America's own troops, diplomats, and businesses vulnerable to similar lawsuits. As the law took effect Wednesday, the CIA warned it could also damage U.S. collaboration with Saudi Arabia on counterterrorism and drive the kingdom to withdraw financial assets from the U.S. Even some of the senators who voted to enact the law said they’d now consider amending it. Maryland Senator Ben Cardin.
SEN. BEN CARDIN [D-MD]: Look, we’re going to keep a very close eye on this. It may be necessary for additional congressional action.
BRENNAN: Bret Eagleson says there’s no second-guessing the outcome.
EAGLESON: I think it brings us a step closer. Without this law, we’d never be able to discover the truth behind 9/11.
BRENNAN: Now many of the 9/11 families believe that U.S. courts may discover links between the Saudi government and the attackers. But, Charlie, for the past 15 years, the CIA has consistently said they have no evidence of any official ties.
CHARLIE ROSE: Thanks, Margaret. Two senators, Tim Kaine and Bernie Sanders, did not vote on the override. They were both campaigning for Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani blasted Clinton’s running mate, saying, quote, “Tim Kaine...was obviously afraid to show up to work today and stand with these Americans.”
