[ad_1]
Stewart, the former host of "The Daily Show," appeared in "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" to respond to a statement made by McConnell at Fox News.
The current law was renewed in 2015 and is due to expire in 2020, but the fund's administrator announced in February that funding was insufficient to settle all claims for compensation. At its last renewal, Congress had allocated $ 4.6 billion to the fund, bringing the total amount of appropriations over the years to $ 7.4 billion. The new bill, which was introduced in committee, does not provide for a specific amount, but all that is needed until 2090.
"I'm deformed for them," Stewart said Monday. "These are the first heroes, veterans and victims of the huge billion dollar war on terror."
Stewart stated that these first responders were still suffering and were dying, and that "one would think that this would be enough to attract congressional attention, but apparently, this is not the case".
Stewart strongly criticized Congress while testifying before a half empty US House justice committee last week. The group unanimously supported the bill later last week.
In a clip broadcast by "The Late Show" during Stewart's segment, McConnell told Fox News that the absence of members of Congress at committee hearings "often happens because members have a lot to do in same time".
"Now I feel stupid," Stewart said sarcastically. "It's a huge misunderstanding, I did not know that they were busy … I did not want to interrupt them with their work!"
Speaking directly to McConnell, Stewart said that the senator worshiped members of the September 11th community when "they serve your political goals, but when they urgently need to walk slowly, procrastinate, you're in trouble." use as a political pawn to get other things you want and you do not do the job completely. "
"If you want to know why the 9/11 community is" distorted "by this past, let's call it 18, meet it tomorrow, as soon as possible, and do not ask them to beg," said Stewart. "You could pass this bill as a stand-alone bill tomorrow, meet them, please."
Stewart took a last shot at the majority leader in the Senate.
"If you're busy, I understand," he says. "Just understand that the next time we have a war, that you are stolen or that your house is on fire, and that you make this desperate call for help, do not be discouraged if they show up at the last minute." with fewer people than you thought they would pay attention and not really say it. "
When asked to comment on Tuesday morning, David Popp – a spokesman for McConnell – recalled the senator's statements on Fox News that Congress would "take over the 9/11 compensation fund" .
"It's impossible for us to not fix this problem appropriately," McConnell told Fox. "We have in the past, we will do it in the future."
– Ted Barrett contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link