Kirsten Gillibrand tried to unanimously pass the 9/11 victims compensation fund extension. Rand Paul blocked her.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), a 2020 presidential candidate, tried to unanimously pass the House-passed extension of the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund without a roll call vote on Wednesday, but Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) stepped in to block it.

The bill, which has been the subject of testimonials from several 9/11 responders like the late Luis Alvarez, is not considered to be in danger. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said it will pass by August.

But Paul, who is known for preferring to slash budgets, said "at the very least" he wants to have a debate. "Any new program that's going to have the longevity of 70, 80 years should be offset by cutting spending that's less valuable," he said on the Senate floor.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

In short, Paul is reportedly concerned about the "open-ended nature" of the bill which would provide protections for first responders until 2090. Most other Republicans reportedly consider the bill too important and are ready to spend. Tim O'Donnell