On Monday, President Biden issued the first veto of his presidency when he killed a bipartisan bill to prevent pension fund managers from making investment decisions based on the left's woke social and environmental justice agenda, also known as ESGs. To help cover up this embarrassing blunder by Biden rejecting a bill supporting sound investment practices, the big three evening newscasts (ABC's World News Tonight, CBS Evening News, and NBC Nightly News) completely ignored the story.
Instead, the networks wasted air time on an alarmist report from the United Nations declaring we have limited time to solve "climate change" before the earth becomes unlivable (ABC & NBC), and a recall of a specific brand of Gerber baby food (CBS).
Back in reality, Fox News Channel's Special Report covered Biden doubling down on his party's out-of-touch woke agenda by vetoing the GOP bill to end ESG investing.
Senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram had the report for Fox News. "Republicans dared the President to veto the bill scrapping a provision asking investors to consider ESG for retirement funds. It’s short for environmental, social, and governance," Pergram noted.
Underscoring the bipartisan nature of the anti-ESG bill, Pergram reported that "[West Virginia Democrat Senator] Joe Manchin lambasted President Biden. Manchin accused the administration of pushing a quote a radical policy agenda."
Pergram explained that Biden "vetoed the bill because it put retirement savings at risk," and that "Republicans say investing is not about a policy agenda."
Ending with bad news for sane, rational Americans who simply want to invest and save for their retirements without the anti-American woke agenda being shoved down their throats, Pergram explained: "the rule covers 150 million Americans. The veto will stand. It's about the math. The House alone is 64 votes shy of an override."
This bias by omission from the three networks was made possible by Liberty Mutual on ABC, Red Lobster on CBS, and ADT Security Systems on NBC. Their information is linked.
The transcript of the March 20 Special Report segment is below. Click "expand" to read:
FNC’s Special Report
3/20/2023
6:09:37 p.m. EasternBRET BAIER: Breaking tonight, also, President Biden issues his first veto rejecting a Republican proposal signed on by a couple of Democrats preventing pension fund managers from basing investment decisions on social justice and environmental issues. So-called ESG. Senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram has details tonight from capitol hill. Good evening, Chad.
CHAD PERGRAM: Good evening, Bret. Republicans dared the President to veto the bill scrapping a provision asking investors to consider ESG for retirement funds. It’s short for environmental, social, and governance.
REP. SCOTT PERRY (R-PA): The fact that he’s doubling down on it, when clearly it's failing, just shows you that his priorities are completely misaligned with what's important to the American people.
PERGRAM: Joe Manchin lambasted President Biden. Manchin accused the administration of pushing a quote a radical policy agenda.
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): ESG’s by itself just, you know, could kill our economy, could kill our whole economy as far as in America basically if everything is going to be determined just on that. It should be considered but it should also be geopolitical risks that we are taking by not doing certain things.
PERGRAM: Manchin and Jon Tester were the only Democrats to vote with the GOP to end the ESG rule. Both face tough re-elections next year. Democrats say Republicans overstated the ESG case.
SEN. RON WYDEN (D-OR): What's important here is that this is no mandate. This is voluntary. And I think it is a useful tool.
PERGRAM: The President vetoed the bill because it put retirement savings at risk. Republicans say investing is not about a policy agenda.
REP. DUSTY JOHNSON (R-SD): We need to go back to the old rules that were in place for decades. The rules that said fund managers when managing pension funds should be focused on making people earn money for retirement.
PERGRAM: The rule covers 150 million Americans. The veto will stand. It's about the math. The House alone is 64 votes shy of an override. Bret?
