![]() ![]() ![]() While his testimony prompted House lawmakers to rapidly approve a reauthorization of the fund in Committee, it also spurred a rather prickly back-and-forth between Stewart and McConnell, whom the comedian views as a longstanding obstacle to advancing this bill. In June, Stewart made headlines when he offered up impassioned testimony during a House hearing, criticizing lawmakers for their “shameful” indifference toward the issue. Stewart’s personal connection to the 9/11 attacks has translated to enduring political activism: He’s been central in raising awareness of the Victim Compensation Fund this time around as well as in 2011 when it was first reactivated. Jon Stewart has been central in raising awareness about the program. As part of his campaign to get the law’s latest authorization passed, Stewart took aim at this resistance. ![]() While funds to care for first responders who worked during 9/11 seems like a straightforward ask from Congress, approving the program has long faced roadblocks among lawmakers, predominantly from Republicans who are reluctant to dole out additional funds for government programs. Right now, without further action from Congress, the program is only authorized through December 2020. Many of those affected rely on the Victim Compensation Fund, which helps cover significant medical costs that are expected to continue. Cancer has also affected almost 9,000 first responders, and 600 have died.Īt this rate, experts predict that the number of deaths from 9/11 diseases will outnumber the almost 3,000 people who died on September 11, 2001. More than 32,000 have developed diseases of the respiratory or digestive tracts, and 705 have died of those diseases. Possibly because of their exposure to chemicals and other hazardous conditions on 9/11, thousands of firefighters and EMTs have since been diagnosed with cancer and respiratory diseases. A program that first ran from 2001 to 2004 and then was reestablished in 2011, the Victim Compensation Fund is now running out of money, given the number of first responders who’ve gotten sick following their work after the attacks. This bill, known as the Never Forget the Heroes Act, reauthorizes the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund until 2090. We will consider this important legislation soon,” McConnell said in a statement on Friday. “Nothing about our shared goal to provide for these heroes is remotely partisan. “I am imploring, pleading, and even begging to Leader McConnell to put this bill on the floor as soon as it passes the House.” “As soon as the House passes this bill, it should be on the floor of the Senate immediately as a standalone bill,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in June. The bill now heads to the Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has committed to giving it a vote in August, following extensive pressure to do so. The House of Representatives on Friday overwhelmingly passed a bill guaranteeing funding for a program that helps cover medical care for 9/11 first responders, a move that comes in the wake of immense public outcry and emotional testimony from Stewart during a House hearing earlier this year. "Accountability appears to not be something that occurs in this chamber." Stewart expressed concern that such legislation like the Never Forget Act would just be punted like a "political football" and attached to riders in massive budget bills.It appears Jon Stewart’s public shaming is working, yet again. "You should be ashamed of yourselves for not being here," he added. Stewart was disgusted by the small number of members assembled for Tuesday's hearing, calling the showing an "embarrassment to this country" and a "stain on this institution." He's since become one of the most vocal advocates for 9/11 responders, repeatedly defending the right to health care coverage for those who responded and ran toward the falling towers. Stewart has long been a champion for the cause, first devoting an entire episode of "The Daily Show" to the political debate over the Zadroga Act back in 2010. FealGood Foundation co-founder John Feal hugs former "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart during a House Judiciary Committee hearing on reauthorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, on June 11, 2019. It also has the support of New York's two senators, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand. Peter King, have introduced the Never Forget the Heroes Act of 2019 to reauthorize the Victim Compensation Fund. Carolyn Maloney, both Democrats, and GOP Rep. Several members of the New York congressional delegation, including House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler and Rep. ![]()
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