Senate Democrats hoping to push through a measure that near permanently authorizes a Sept. 11 victims compensation fund were thwarted Wednesday by Sen. Rand Paul.
The Kentucky Republican objected to the measure being passed by the chamber via a process of unanimous consent, which nixes the need for a roll-call vote.
“It has long been my feeling that we need to address our massive debt in this country. We have a $22 trillion debt. We’re adding debt at about a trillion dollars a year and, therefore, any new spending that we are approaching, any new program that’s going to have the longevity of 70-80 years should be off-set by cutting spending that’s less valuable,” Paul said in a floor speech. “We need to, at the very least, have this debate.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, both New York Democrats, blasted Paul and his Senate colleagues for the “political games” they are playing with the fund, which covers the lost wages and other financial losses experienced by first responders sickened from cleaning up after the terror strike at Ground Zero and for those who became ill after returning to the neighborhoods and offices still impacted by dangerous air quality.
The political theater comes as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell last week promised to take up the House-passed bill, which would last until 2092, “soon.” The proposal, however, is estimated to cost more than $10 billion in the first decade and currently lacks a mechanism to pay for it by reducing government spending elsewhere. Congress has already authorized a separate fund to address health costs. That fund expires in 2090.
Staffers for Paul on Wednesday pushed back on the perception that the libertarian was blocking the bill.
“He is simply seeking to pay for it,” a spokesperson said in a statement. “Sen. Paul is simply offering an amendment, which other senators support, to pay for this legislation.”
