McConnell, Jon Stewart cross paths in Capitol ahead of vote on 9/11 funding bill

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) crossed paths with comedian Jon Stewart in the halls of the Capitol, according to a photo posted on social media ahead of the Senate vote on extending the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, an issue on which Stewart had been sharply critical of congressional Republicans. 

“.@McConnellPress walks past Jon Stewart at the Ohio Clock Corridor in the Capitol. The Senate will be voting later today on HR 1327: Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act,” Bill Clark, a photojournalist at Roll Call, shared on Twitter.

.@McConnellPress walks past Jon Stewart at the Ohio Clock Corridor in the Capitol. The Senate will be voting later today on HR 1327: Never Forget the Heroes: Permanent Authorization of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act. pic.twitter.com/bZ0FaOhTSl

— Bill Clark (@billclarkphotos) July 23, 2019

{mosads}The photo has been liked more than 6,000 times and retweeted more than 1,600 times as of Tuesday afternoon.

“So myself and a few other photographers were staking out the Senate Republicans’ policy lunch for the expected arrival of Treasury Sec [Steven] Mnuchin when Jon Stewart walked by. He stopped at the Ohio Clock and made a joke about the clock’s missing hands,” Clark said in a statement to The Hill.

“A few moments later Majority Leader Mitch McConnell walked from the Senate floor back to his office. I was hoping McConnell would stop to interact with Stewart, but he just walked by as Stewart stood there smiling. A few minutes later, McConnell walked back to the Senate floor and Stewart thanked him for getting the 9/11 bill a vote in the Senate,” he continued.

The Senate approved the Sept. 11 funding bill Tuesday, voting to extend the fund through fiscal 2090.

Stewart has been a staunch advocate of extending the fund for the 9/11 first responders, testifying in front of Congress and lobbying lawmakers. He has repeatedly accused McConnell of not prioritizing the legislation.

He ripped into McConnell during an appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” last month after the Kentucky Republican said he didn’t know why the comedian was “all bent out of shape” over a delayed Senate vote on the legislation. 

“No, no, Mitch McConnell, I am not bent out of shape, I’m in fine shape,” Stewart shouted. “Well, I am out of shape, but not because of you. … 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 and still in terrible need,” Stewart said.