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>> Bret: WE TOLD YOU A FEW
MINUTES AGO A BILL TO ENSURE
FUNDING FOR THE HEALTH CARE OF
9/11 FIRST RESPONDERS IS BEING
BLOCKED IN THE SENATE BY TWO
REPUBLICANS, SENATORS RAND PAUL
AND MIKE LEE.
SENATOR PAUL TOOK TO TO THE L
SENATOR PAUL TOOK TO TO THE O
SENATOR PAUL TOOK TO TO THE R
TODAY SAYING THE SPENDING NEEDS
TO BE OFFSET BY CUTS ELSEWHERE.
WE ARE GOING TO GET REACTION NOW
FROM JON STEWART, COMEDIAN,
ACTIVIST, IS BEEN THE LEADING
ACTIVIST FOR THIS FUND AND ONE
OF THE FIRST RESPONDERS, JOHN
FIELD.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE.
JUST WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION
FIRST TO THIS NEWS TODAY AND
KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE THINKING.
>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING
US, AND YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN
GENEROUS WITH YOUR TIME AT FOX,
TELLING OUR STORY, SO THANK YOU.
LISTEN, WHERE LOTS OF FOREST BY
SENATOR LEE AND PAUL.
THIS IS THEIR M.O.
WE KIND OF HAD AN IDEA THAT THIS
WOULD HAPPEN BUT IF YOU WATCH
YESTERDAY ONE SOUTH DAKOTA
MAJORITY WHIP, UNANIMOUS --
SENATOR KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND DID
HER UNANIMOUS CONSENT AND
MITCH McCONNELL, HE GAVE US
HIS WORD AND HE'S BEEN SINCERE
ABOUT THAT AND WERE CONFIDENT
WHEN THE BUILD WAS ON THE FLOOR
FOR A STRAIGHT UP-AND-DOWN VOTE,
SENATOR LEE AND SENATOR PAUL ARE
GOING TO LOSE AND ANY AMENDMENT
THEY TRY TO MAKE -- WE HAVE 73
COSPONSORS.
WE HAVE A TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY
AND I DON'T THINK ANYTHING MAY
HAVE TO OFFER COLD WATER.
BUT LET'S GET TO -- RAND PAUL
GOT $580,000 FOR A BROKEN RIBS.
IF WE GET $250,000 FOR CANCER.
TOM WILSON, HAD HIS TONGUE
REMOVED AND HIS NECK
RECONSTRUCTED, GETS $250,000.
HE'LL PROBABLY DIE FROM CANCER.
LUIS ALVAREZ WHO DIED FROM
CANCER, HE GOT $250,000.
SO I THINK BOTH OF THE SENATORS,
THE PEOPLE FROM THE STATE OF
KENTUCKY AND THE PEOPLE FROM THE
STATE OF UTAH DESERVE BETTER,
AND I THINK THEY LIKE HUMANITY.
>> Bret: THIS IS WHAT
"THE WASHINGTON POST" SAYS ABOUT
THIS FUND.
IT SAYS THE FUND PROVIDES MONEY
TO THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN
CONTRACTING DISEASES LINKED TO
TOXICS DEBRIS IN THE AFTERMATH
OF THE SEPTEMBER 11TH ATTACKS,
WHICH WE KNOW.
UNDER CURRENT LAW THE FUND IS
SCHEDULED TO STOP TAKING CLAIMS
IN DECEMBER 2020.
IF THE NEW LEGISLATION WOULD
EXTEND THE PROGRAM FOR SEVEN
DECADES AT AN ESTIMATED COST OF
10.2 BILLION FOR THE FIRST
DECADE.
HER CELL SENATOR PAUL SAID IT ON
THE FLOOR TODAY.
>> AND A NEW SPENDING THAT WE
ARE APPROACHING, AND A NEW
PROGRAM IT'S GOING TO HAVE THE
LONGEVITY OF 70, 80 YEARS,
SHOULD BE OFFSET BY CUTTING
SPENDING LESS LESS VALUABLE.
WE NEED TO AT THE VERY LEAST
HAVE THIS DEBATE.
I WILL BE OFFERING UP AN
AMENDMENT IF THIS BILL SHOULD
COME TO THE FLOOR BUT UNTIL THEN
I WILL OBJECT.
>> Bret: JON STEWART, YOUR
REACTION TO THAT >> IS
ABSOLUTELY OUTRAGEOUS AND YOU
PARDON ME IF I'M NOT IMPRESSED
IN ANY WAY BY RAND PAUL'S FISCAL
RESPONSIBILITY VIRTUE SIGNALING.
RAND PAUL PRESENTED TISSUE PAPER
AVOIDANCE OF THE $1.5 TRILLION
TAX CUT THAT ADDED ON PARTS OF
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO OUR
DEFICIT AND NOW HE STANDS UP AT
THE LAST MINUTE AFTER 15 YEARS
OF BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS FROM
THE 9/11 COMMUNITY TO SAY THAT
IT'S ALL OVER NOW, NOW WE ARE
GOING TO BALANCE THE BUDGET ON
THE BACKS OF THE 9/11
FIRST RESPONDER COMMUNITY.
BRET, THIS IS ABOUT WHAT KIND OF
SOCIETY WE HAVE.
AT SOME POINT, WE HAVE TO STAND
UP FOR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE
ALWAYS STOOD UP FOR US.
AND AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME,
MAYBE CANNOT STAND UP FOR
THEMSELVES DUE TO THEIR
ILLNESSES AND THEIR INJURIES,
AND WHAT RAND PAUL DID TODAY IN
THE SENATE WAS OUTRAGEOUS.
HE IS A GUY THAT PUT US IN
HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS
OF DEBT.
IT WAS THE 51ST VOTE ON THAT
CUT, AND NOW HE'S GOING TO TELL
US THAT A BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR
OVER TEN YEARS IS JUST TOO MUCH
FOR US TO HANDLE?
YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOMETHING THEY
HAVE NO TROUBLE PUTTING ON THE
CREDIT CARD, BUT SOMEHOW WHEN IT
COMES TO THE 9/11
FIRST RESPONDER COMMUNITY, THE
COPS, THE FIREFIGHTERS, THE
CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, THE
VOLUNTEERS, THE SURVIVORS, ALL
OF A SUDDEN, WITH GOT TO GO
THROUGH THIS.
THIS PROGRAM HAS ALREADY BEEN
RUNNING FOR FIVE YEARS.
NO FRAUD, IT WAS TESTIFIED WHEN
WE WENT IN FRONT OF CONGRESS.
THE SPECIAL PAYMASTER TESTIFIED,
NO FRAUD, NO WASTE, NO ABUSE.
MIKE LEE, WE MET IN HIS OFFICE
FIVE YEARS AGO.
HE LOOKED US IN THE EYE, HE
LOOKED RAY PFEIFFER IN THE EYE,
WHO UNFORTUNATELY IS NO LONGER
WITH US, AND SAID HE WAS GOING
TO LOOK INTO IT.
HE IS THE REASON THAT WE HAD TO
GO BACK AGAIN FOR THIS NEW ONE
AND NOW HE WANTS TO PUT ANOTHER
CAP ON IT THAT'S GOING TO MAKE
JOHN FEAL AND ALL HIS OTHER
TENACIOUS YET ILL
FIRST RESPONDERS DRAG THEMSELVES
BACK TO WASHINGTON TO PUT THEIR
HATS IN THEIR HANDS AND BEG FOR
SOMETHING THAT THIS COUNTRY
SHOULD HAVE DONE 14 YEARS AGO.
IT'S AN ABOMINATION.
>> Bret: WE ASKED BOTH
SENATORS FOR A STATEMENT.
SENATOR PAUL'S OFFICE SENT A
STATEMENT SAYING "SENATOR PAUL
IS NOT BLOCKING ANYTHING.
HE'S SIMPLY SEEKING TO PAY FOR
IT AS WITH ANY BELT,
SENATOR PAUL ALWAYS BELIEVES IT
NEEDS TO BE PAID FOR.
SENATOR PAUL IS SIMPLY OFFERING
AN AMENDMENT TO PAY FOR THIS
LEGISLATION."
AFTER ALL THAT YOU'VE SAID HERE,
AND ATTENDING THE FUNERAL OF
YOUR COLLEAGUE LUIS ALVAREZ,
JOHN FEAL, THAT'S NOT WHERE YOU
ARE.
>> NO, LISTEN, SENATOR PAUL AND
SENATOR LEE ARE OPPORTUNISTS,
THEY ARE BOTTOM FEEDERS IN ANY
STATEMENT THAT THEY COME OUT
WITH DOESN'T HOLD WATER WITH ME.
YOU CAN'T CHERRY PICK AND CHOOSE
WHEN YOU WANT TO BE A
CONSERVATIVE FISCAL HAWK.
IF THAT'S JUST INSULTING TO OUR
INTELLIGENCE AND SHAME ON THEM.
THEY LACK HUMANITY, THEY LACK
LEADERSHIP, AND THEY JUST DO
THIS BECAUSE -- LISTEN,
TED CRUZ, RAND PAUL, MIKE LEE,
EVEN THEIR OWN COLLEAGUES DON'T
LIKE THEM.
WE DON'T LIKE THEM.
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.
WE MET MIKE LEE A COUPLE MONTHS
AGO, HIS STAFF.
THEY PROMISED, THEY SWORE UP AND
DOWN BUT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO
GET IN THE WAY OF THIS.
MIKE LEE, YOU'RE A LIAR.
>> THE OTHER THING TOO, BRET, TO
A MEMBER, WHAT POINT THIS IS
EITHER NECESSARY OR IT'S NOT.
EVERYONE AGREES THAT IT'S
NECESSARY.
WE ARE EITHER DOING THIS --
THERE'S EITHER A NEED OR IT'S
NOT.
IF YOUR BUDGETARY PRIORITIES ARE
EITHER MOVED BY A MORAL COMPASS
WHERE THEY ARE NOT.
AND THIS IS AN OUTRAGEOUS PLACE
FOR THEM TO TAKE A STAND AND
BECAUSE, 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.
>> BRET, WHAT PEOPLE SEE AS A
MAJOR DEFEAT TODAY IS A MINOR
SETBACK AND IT'S JUST GOING TO
PROPEL US TO A BIGGER WIN AND WE
ARE CONFIDENT THAT AFTER MEETING
WITH MITCH McCONNELL, THAT
HE'S KEPT HIS WORD AND HE'S
WORKING DILIGENTLY TO GET THIS
BILL ON THE FLOOR FOR A STRAIGHT
UP-AND-DOWN VOTE.
THAT'S WHAT WE ALWAYS WANTED.
THE UNANIMOUS CONSENT WAS EASY,
BUT WE WANT A STRAIGHT
UP-AND-DOWN VOTE BECAUSE WE
DIDN'T GET IT IN 2010, WE DIDN'T
GET IT IN 2015 AND WE WANT TO
WALK OUT WATCHING THE FRUITION
OF OUR WORK COME TO AN END.
>> IT'S THE SAME SONG AND DANCE
THEY'VE GIVEN US FOR 14 YEARS
NOW.
THIS PROGRAM HAS PROVEN ITSELF.
IT HAS SHOWN ITSELF TO BE
FAITHFUL TO THE STATUTE.
IT HAS SHOWN ITSELF TO BE FAIR
TO THE CLAIMANT AND SHOWN ITSELF
TO BE RESPECTABLE TO THE
TAXPAYERS, AND THAT'S ALL WE CAN
ASK OF A PROGRAM, BUT MOST
IMPORTANTLY, IT BRINGS JUST A
MOMENT'S PEACE TO A COMMUNITY
THAT HAS SUFFERED AND CONTINUES
TO SUFFER.
>> Bret: JON STEWART AND JOHN