Jon Stewart Drags Rand Paul For Stalling 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Bill: 'Outrageous'

Comedian Jon Stewart and activist John Feal ripped into Republican Sens. Rand Paul (Ky.) and Mike Lee (Utah) for stalling a bill Wednesday that would expand a compensation fund for first responders of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The people from the state of Kentucky and the people from the state of Utah deserve much better, Feal, a 9/11 first responder himself, told Fox News Bret Baier on Wednesday. I think they lack humanity.

The bipartisan 9/11 victim compensation bill, which passed through the House last week with overwhelming support, hit a snag in the Senate on Wednesday after Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) asked for unanimous consent to pass it.

Paul blocked the proposal and called on the Senate to first debate an amendment that would offset the costs of the fund. Lee also placed a hold on the legislation, according to The Washington Post .

Stewart, a longtime advocate for 9/11 first responders, eviscerated Paul during his appearance Wednesday on Fox News. He accused Paul of fiscal responsibility virtue signaling for being a hard-liner on the federal budget this week after voting in favor of President Donald Trump s $1 trillion tax cut in 2017, which added billions of dollars to the national deficit.

Its absolutely outrageous, Stewart said. Now he stands up at the last minute after 15 years of blood, sweat and tears from the 9/11 community to say that its all over. Now were going to balance the budget on the backs of the 9/11 first responder community.

At some point we have to stand up for the people who have always stood up for us, he continued. You know, there are some things that they have no trouble putting on the credit card. But somehow, when it comes to the 9/11 first responder community the cops, the fire fighters, the construction workers, the volunteers, the survivors all of a sudden, we have to go through this.

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