House to vote Friday on 9/11 victims fund

The House is expected to vote Friday on legislation to authorize funding for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, according to Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).

The vote will come after former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart gave emotional testimony before Congress last month calling on lawmakers to take swift action to extend the funding for first responders.

“I’m pleased to announce the House will vote this Friday on the Zadroga Pfeifer Alvarez 9/11 #Renew911VCF. The heroes who ran into harm’s way that day deserve swift action. I thank Jon Stewart @RepMaloney @RepJerryNadler & others for their advocacy on this issue,” Hoyer announced in a Monday tweet. 

{mosads}The legislation will be named after 9/11 first responders Luis Alvarez and Ray Pfeifer, as well as New York Police Department detective James Zadroga.

Alvarez, a detective who developed cancer after responding to the scene at ground zero on 9/11, died on June 29 after appearing at the same hearing as Stewart weeks earlier. 

Stewart had laced into lawmakers for poor attendance at the House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on the legislation to renew the funding. 

“They responded in five seconds. They did their jobs,” Stewart said of the first responders. 

“Eighteen years later,” Stewart added, “do yours!”

The legislation would authorize additional funding for the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund through 2090. Congress renewed the current law in 2015, but it is set to expire in 2020.

The House Judiciary Committee advanced the bill by voice vote the day after the hearing with Stewart.

The bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), is expected to easily pass once it reaches the House floor. It currently has 332 co-sponsors, including 96 Republicans.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said that the upper chamber will also take up the legislation before the August recess. He met with 9/11 first responders before the Independence Day recess following criticism from Stewart. 

McConnell had initially said in a Fox News interview that he didn’t understand why Stewart was “all bent out of shape” about the legislation but pledged to “take care” of the funding.