Fox News Channel’s Shepard Smith has occasionally taken some strong positions during his time at the network. He is a news anchor, not an opinion host, but that hasn’t stopped him from calling out the use of torture or saying that the Holocaust Museum shooter validated a DHS report about “right wing extremism.”
Yesterday, Smith took aim at Republicans in the U.S. Senate that are obstructing a bill that would help provide health care to 9/11 first responders.
“[T]hese people ran to ground zero to save people’s lives and we are not even going to give ‘em medicine for the illness that they got down there? It’s disgusting – it’s a national disgrace – it’s a shame – and everybody who voted against it should have to stand up for and account for himself or herself. Is anybody going to hold them accountable?”
Senate Democrats, sensing an opportunity to have Fox News on their side, promptly put out a press release citing Smith:
“Republican attempts to block health care for people who got sick while saving lives on 9/11 is a new low. Many of the people who rushed into burning buildings with no hesitation on that tragic day developed serious illnesses and diseases from working in hazardous conditions and breathing the toxic air. For some, it’s a miracle they survived that day. But even Fox News agrees with us that it should not take a second ‘Christmas miracle’ for Republicans to work with Democrats and ensure these heroes have the health care they need to treat their conditions.
Would Senate Democrats send out a press release if a news anchor on CNN or MSNBC called out Republican obstructionists? Probably not.