On Friday, broadcast networks ABC and CBS completely ignored President Biden signing the massive $1.7 trillion spending bill for 2023. NBC covered the event in a 29-second news brief which included no mention that the bill had been flown to the President for him to sign while he was vacationing in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“President Biden signed the 1.7 trillion-dollar spending package yesterday, unlocking funds for a number of programs, including medical research, defense, disaster recovery, violence against women, and crucial assistance to Ukraine,” NBC chief White House correspondent Kristen Welker reported during the 7 a.m. Eastern hour of Today.
Welker’s brief did not note any of the numerous expensive provisions contained within the bill that were completely unrelated to keeping the government funded.
Also absent from her report was any mention that President Biden had taken the unusual step of signing the bill while abroad. As the President did not wish to return home from his vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands, the 4,000-page bill was flown to the private beach community in St. Croix where he and his family were staying.
Meanwhile, ABC’s Good Morning America and CBS Mornings ignored the signing outright.
Given the nonstop shrieking we tend to hear from broadcast networks about government shutdowns, they’ve been oddly reluctant to cover the signing of a bill which prevents such a scenario.