On October 19, 1999, Cronkite accepted the Norman Cousins Global Governance Award from the World Federalists Association at a ceremony at the United Nations in what WND reported as a “total media blackout”. In his speech, Cronkite declared his support and allegiance to a one-world government. He blamed the refusal of the U.S. Congress to ratify one-world-government treaties on “a handful” of obdurate senators who “pander” to the Christian Coalition and the “religious right wing”.