NBC: GOP/Manchin Are Starving Children by Tanking Build Back Better

Two days later, Senator Joe Manchin (D–WV) was on the job Fox News Sunday and essentially doomed the Biden Administration’s Build Back Better bill from passing the Senate and being signed into law, the leftist media have melted down. The same was true for the evening broadcasts. The Tuesday evening broadcast was on Tuesday. NBC Nightly News dedicated an entire segment to fear-mongering about how America’s children will go without food or new clothes because of the heartlessness of Manchin and Senate Republicans.

NBC Nightly NewsThe segment was opened by anchor Lester Holt declaring that: “President Biden’s social spending plan in limbo, millions of American families are losing a critical financial lifeline.” Holt then handed the segment off to NBC’s senior business correspondent Stephanie Ruhle.

Ruhle started her segment interviewing Connie Ciara (a middle-class mother):

STEPHANIE ROHLE: Connie Ciara met us right when the child tax credit was raised and made a monthly payment. 

CIARA: If we’re getting it every month, we can use it towards all the little things that are affecting us now.

RUHLE: She says it really has helped her daughters six months later.

CIARA: This money made a big difference in what our family could buy.

RUHLE – What were you spending that money for?

CIARA: Return to School Clothes, Hair Cuts, Um Shoes

RUHLE Family members received $300 per month to support their children under six years of age, $250 for the ages up to 17 and $250 each for families with more income.

Ruhle then spoke to Megan Curan, a policy director at Columbia University Center on Poverty & Social Policy who claimed: “Families in every single state are using this child tax credit payment for food. It is the most common use.”

Having laid the foundation by pulling at viewers’ heartstrings, Ruhle then blamed Manchin and Republicans for killing the Child Tax Credit (even though Democrats were the ones who linked it with the rest of Build Back Better):

As part of the Build back Better Act, the Biden Administration would like to extend the Child Tax Credit by one year. However, not everyone is onboard. Some Republicans, and even Senator Joe Manchin from the Democratic Party raised concerns over the price of the tax credit. This puts the whole bill at risk.

While NBC was busy smearing Manchin and Republicans, perhaps they should be looking to Democratic buddies and ask them why they decided to put the tax credit in the extremely controversial bill that didn’t have support from moderates.

This segment of NBC Nightly News trying to gaslight Americans into thinking the Child Tax Credit will prevent children from starving was brought to you by Fidelity and Liberty Mutual. You can contact them via the linked information to let them know what biased news they support. 

You can click the “expand” button to see this section’s transcript. 

NBC Nightly News 
12/21/2021 
7:21:35PM

LESTER HOLT – Also tonight, the President Biden’s Social Spending Plan in Limbo, which means that millions of American families are losing their vital financial lifeline. Stephanie Ruhle provides more details.

[cuts to news package]

CONNIE CIARA: Good morning girls!

STEPHANIE ROHLE: Connie Ciara met us right when the child tax credit was raised and made a monthly payment.

CIARA: If we’re getting it every month, we can use it towards all the little things that are affecting us now.

RUHLE: She says it really has helped her daughters six months later.

CIARA: This money made a big difference in what our family could buy.

RUHLE – What were you spending that money for?

CIARA: Return to School Clothes, Hair Cuts, Um Shoes

RUHLE For every six-year-old child, families received $300 per month and for each additional child up to age 17, $250. This was gradually reduced as the family earned more.

MEGAN CURAN (POLICY DIRECTOR AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY CENTER ON POVERTY & SOCIAL POLICY): Families in every single state are using this child tax credit payment for food. This payment is most commonly used.

RUHLE – The Biden Administration would like to renew the Child Tax Credit for an additional year under the Build Back Better Act. However, not everyone is onboard. The entire bill is in danger because of concerns raised by Republicans as well as Senator Joe Manchin, Democrats.

SENATOR JOEMANCHIN: This piece of legislation is not up for vote.

RUHLE

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JEN PSAKI: We’re going to work with anybody who’s interested in taking steps to lower costs for the American people, whether it’s on child care, or elder care, or health care.

RUHLE: Families have received the final checks. The tax credit has been accessed by more than 61,000,000 children. Nearly 4 million children were kept out of poverty by the tax credit last month.

CURAN: That just to put in perspective is sort of unprecedented levels of child poverty reduction that we’ve seen in the U.S in general and especially through a single policy.

RUHLE: Unless there’s an extension, the new year will bring new challenges for families like Connie’s.

CIARA – I believe we will have to come up with a method to reduce other aspects.

RUHLE: Stephanie Ruhle, NBC News