Jon Stewart is smiling in the hallway for a reason. After years of lobbying and pressure on Congress, the 9-11 First Responders bill came up for a vote. The bill funds the compensation fund for first responders through 2092, ensuring that all of them will receive fully funded benefits without the trauma of lobbying Congress every five years.
The vote was 97-2. The two "No" votes were Republicans. Can you guess which two Republicans voted against it?
If you guessed Mike Lee and Rand Paul, you'd be right. Both of them offered amendments to the bill which would have required offsetting spending for the fund with budget cuts elsewhere. Both amendments failed by wide margins, and final vote was definitive.
It's now heading to Trump's desk, where we will have to endure his endless bragging about how good "he" is to the first responders, despite the fact that he basically didn't lift a finger or use his bully pulpit to pass it. But endure we shall, because in the end it's not about him, but about those brave men and women who put themselves on the line as patriots.
