The Senate cleared legislation Tuesday to permanently authorize a Sept. 11 victims compensation fund, rejecting GOP amendments to put limits on the funding and to pay for the measure, by a vote of 96-2.
The legislation heads to President Trump, who is expected to sign it.
The vote followed several visits to the Capitol by comedian Jon Stewart, who lobbied intensely on behalf of the victims. He attended a closed-door Democratic Caucus luncheon Tuesday ahead of the vote.
Lawmakers rejected amendments from two Senate fiscal hawks.
Senators voted 66-32 to defeat a provision authored by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, that would have capped spending in the first decade on the measure at $10.2 billion, which matches a cost estimate provided by the Congressional Budget Office.
Lee pointed out that the fund “has always had finite authorizations, and by all accounts, it has an excellent record avoiding waste and abuse.”
Lee added, “These two things are not coincidental. They go together.”
Senators also killed an amendment authored by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, by a vote of 22-77, that would have required budget cuts to pay for the cost of the bill.
The bill extends until 2090 a compensation fund that covers lost wages and other financial losses experienced by first responders sickened from cleaning up after the terror strike at ground zero and for those sickened after returning to the neighborhoods and offices still impacted by dangerous air quality.
The fund’s special master announced in February that it was nearly depleted and victim compensation would be slashed by up to 70%.
“These American heroes and their families deserve this compensation,” Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana, said Tuesday. “They deserve to have piece of mind.”
The House passed the measure earlier this month, but House Republicans at the time called for Senate GOP leaders to find a way to pay for it.
Instead, the measure’s cost will add to the deficit.
Stewart last week ridiculed Republicans for seeking a way to offset the cost.
”It’s very difficult to watch a House and Senate with a trillion-dollar deficit try and balance that budget of $10.2 billion over 10 years on the backs of 9-11 victims and first responders,” Stewart said.
