Comedian Jon Stewart and first responder John Feal criticized Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah for temporarily blocking a measure to permanently authorize a Sept. 11 victims compensation fund.
“They lack humanity, they lack leadership,” Feal claimed in a Wednesday appearance with Stewart on Special Report with Bret Baier. “When we get this bill passed, we beat them again and we are going to walk out and we’re going to hold our chins up high and our chests out, and we’re going to say we beat Rand Paul and Mike Lee.”
“Everybody agrees that it’s necessary. We’re either doing this or not. There’s either a need or it’s not,” Stewart said. “Your budgetary priorities are either moved by a moral compass or they’re not. And this is an outrageous place for them to take a stand and cause, once again, pain and heartache and suffering within a community that has felt so much of that over these past few years and is going to be suffering more.”
Paul said he was “not blocking anything” but was simply trying to find a way to pay for it.
“Senator Paul is not blocking anything. He is simply seeking to pay for it. As with any bill, Senator Paul always believes it needs to be paid for. Senator Paul is simply offering an amendment, which other senators support, to pay for this legislation,” Paul said in a statement.
Not blocking the 9/11 bill – simply asking for a vote on an amendment to offset the cost.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) July 17, 2019
“Sen. Lee is seeking a vote to ensure the fund has the proper oversight in place to prevent fraud and abuse,” a spokesperson for Lee’s office said.
On Wednesday, Paul forced debate on the compensation fund, bringing the ire of two New York Democrats: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.
Stewart and Feal have both been outspoken in the support for the fund.
