The House passed a bill permanently reauthorizing the 9/11 victim fund, but Jon Stewart isn't feeling 'celebratory'

Luis Alvarez and Jon Stewart prepare to testify before Congress.

(Image credit: Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

published 12 July 2019

The House of Representatives on Friday easily passed a bill to permanently reauthorize the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. But former Daily Show host Jon Stewart isn't ready to celebrate just yet.

The House in a 402-12 vote on Friday authorized the fund providing health care for 9/11 first responders through 2090, CNN reports. Now, the fight moves to the Senate, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said a vote will take place before the upcoming August recess, The Washington Post reports.

Stewart, who for years has lobbied Congress to reauthorize the fund and put lawmakers on blast in a fiery rant on Capitol Hill last month, told MSNBC on Friday he'll hold McConnell to this promise of a vote before the recess. The comedian also said that "it's hard to feel optimistic or confident given the past history, but we're hoping this passes the Senate and that this community can finally exhale and go home and deal with the grief and burdens that they've been dealing with all along."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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