Comedian Jon Stewart told Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to meet with 9/11 first responders about the benefit funds bill being debated.
He issued his challenge during his Monday night appearance on “The Late Show” with Stephen Colbert.
Stewart and McConnell have feuded over the funding of the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, which is set to expire next year. The bill does not allocate a specific amount of money to the fund, rather it dedicates whatever amount is necessary until it expires in 2090.
McConnell questioned why Stewart was “all bent out of shape,” during a Monday morning appearance on Fox News, adding that he may have been “looking for some way to take offense.”
Stewart responded to McConnell on the show, “I’m bent out of shape for them. These are the first heroes and veterans and victims of the great trillions-of-dollars War on Terror. And they’re currently still suffering and dying and in terrible need. You know, you would think that would be enough to get Congress’ attention. But apparently, it’s not.”
“Oh, boy. Now I don’t even know what to say. I didn’t mean to interrupt them with their jobs!” he continued. “Honestly, Mitch McConnell, you really want to go with the ‘We’ll get to it when we get to it’ argument for the heroes of 9/11? Listen, senator, I know that your species isn’t known for moving quickly.”
Stewart, who has long been an advocate for 9/11 responders, went viral last week when he berated lawmakers during a House Judiciary hearing for failing to pass the bill.
“If you want to know why the 9/11 community is bent out of shape over these past let’s call it 18 years, meet with them, tomorrow as soon as possible and don’t make them beg for it.” Stewart said. “You could pass this thing as a stand-alone bill, tomorrow.”
He concluded by warning the Senate majority leader that “the next time we have a war, or you’re being robbed, or your house is on fire, and you make that desperate call for help, don’t get bent out of shape if they show up at the last minute with fewer people than you thought were going to pay attention and don’t actually put it out.”
