Jon Stewart Slams Mitch McConnell Over 9/11 Compensation Fund: 'You Don't Get the Job Done' — Watch
Jon Stewart had an important message for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday night — and he literally crawled out from under Stephen Colbert’s desk to deliver it.
The former Daily Show host (and current Late Show executive producer) appeared on Colbert’s show on Monday, where he continued his plea for McConnell to take up the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund in the Senate.
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First, a bit of context: Earlier this month, Stewart appeared in front of the House Judiciary Committee, where he implored its members to reauthorize the Victim Compensation Fund, a measure that provides money for the medical needs of first responders and survivors of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In an emotional testimony on June 11, Stewart called out lawmakers for taking too long to reauthorize the fund — and one day after his impassioned speech, a House panel unanimously passed a bill to permanently reauthorize it.
It’s still unclear, though, if McConnell will take up the bill in the Senate — and he recently told Fox News that he doesn’t understand why Stewart is “all bent out of shape” about the fund and “looking for some way to take offense” over the legislation.
In his surprise Late Show appearance, Stewart clarified, “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.”
Stewart had also previously expressed frustration that so few members of the House Judiciary Committee showed up for his testimony, which McConnell chalked up to members of Congress having packed schedules, with multiple events happening at the same time.
“Oh, I didn’t know that they were busy,” Stewart joked in response. “I didn’t mean to interrupt them with their jobs! 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?”
He later continued: “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 — just sorta leave it there, smoldering for another five years, because that’s how s—t’s done around here, mister. I’m sure they’ll put it out when they feel like getting around to it. No offense.”
Watch Stewart’s full Late Show appearance above, then drop a comment with your thoughts.
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