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Jon Stewart Appears On 'Late Show' To Rip Mitch McConnell Again
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 18, 2019
Modified Jun 18, 2019
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Late Show
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 18, 2019
Modified Jun 18, 2019
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If Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell thought that calling Jon Stewart "bent out of shape" over the lack of federal attention to 9/11 first responders would just make the whole thing go away, he was really wrong. The former Daily Show host literally popped up at the Late Show with Stephen Colbert to address McConnell's remarks, emerging out from under Colbert's desk as part of the running gag that he resides there full time.
"I'm not bent out of shape! I'm fine in fine shape... well, I am out of shape... I'm really more pizza crust than man," Stewart explained. "I'm fine! 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... you'd think that'd be enough to get Congress's attention... but it's not."
Last week, Stewart appeared before Congress to testify on behalf of first responders who are now sickened from their work at Ground Zero on September 11, 2001 and during the following weeks. But the hearing was sparsely attended by legislators, and Stewart shamed them for ignoring the ailing responders who were there. On Monday morning, McConnell told Fox & Friends, "Members have a lot of things going on at the same time."
On Monday night, Stewart rose up from under Colbert's desk to admit, "I feel like an asshole... I didn’t know that they were busy. I didn’t mean to interrupt them with their jobs."
"Honestly, Mitch McConnell, you really want to go with that, 'we’ll get to it when we get to it' argument for the heroes of 9/11?" Stewart said. "I know that your species isn’t known for moving quickly."
"Would that be a turtle reference, Jon?" Colbert asked.
"It's a little red meat for the base," Stewart explained. "But, damn, Senator, you’re not good at this argument thing. Basically we’re saying you love the 9/11 community when they serve your political purposes, but when they’re in urgent need, you slow walk, you dither, you use it as a political pawn to get other things you want. And you don’t get the job done completely. And your answer to that charge is: 'Yeah, duh, we're Congress, that's how we do.'"
Stewart added, "We've spent a year compiling bipartisan cosponsors and advocates for this bill, all in the hopes that when it finally get to the great Mitch McConnell's desk, you won't jack us around like you've done in the past. So if you want to know why the 9/11 community is bent out of shape over these past, let's call it these past 18 years, meet with them. Tomorrow. As soon as possible. And don't make them beg for it. You could pass this thing as a standalone bill tomorrow. Meet with them. I beg of you. Meet with them tomorrow."
"If you're busy, I get it. Just understand the next time we have 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 gonna pay attention and don't actually put it out. Just leave it there smoldering, for another five years, 'cause that's how shit's done around here, Mister. I'm sure they'll put it out for good when they feel like getting around to it, no offense."
The September 11 Victim Compensation Fund is funded through December 2020; a report from the fund notes there's about "$2.375 billion of the $7.375 billion appropriated funding available to compensate all pending and anticipated future claims filed through December 18, 2020, the VCF’s statutory end date, including the almost 20,000 claims and amendments that are currently pending an award determination, and the thousands of claims still expected to be filed."
Tagged
9/11
Jon Stewart
mitch mcconnell
september 11 attack
september 11th victims compensation fund
victim compensation fund
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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