Former Daily Show Host Jon Stewart Addresses the Fund for 9/11 Victims

Jon Stewart, long time comedian and former host of the Daily Show has not been afraid to share his opinions concerning the 9/11 attacks. He was present at the Victim Compensation Fund had several outburst and rage and emotion during his speech. First off, this is a very sensitive topic for Jon Stewart since he witnessed the attacks from his apartment window. Due to the fact that many Congress members skipped the hearing due to a lack of interest in a subject that occurred eighteen years ago, Jon Stewart addressed all of them by saying “It’s an embarrassment to the country and you should be ashamed of yourselves.” This was only his latest effort in supporting the 9/11 victims which has been a priority of his since the attacks occurred. Stewart was testifying in Washington to help a fund that congress created for those who were impacted by the attacks of 9/11 and are still suffering from them today is running out of money. He is trying to propose a bill to keep the fund going. Stewart is also angry about how the fund has been treated, because it has been ignored shut down and restarted since it was opened but now it is losing money. “Congress first created the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund in 2001 to provide money to the families of people who died or were injured when the World Trade Center’s twin towers collapsed in a terrorist attack. (The fund was intended, in part, to limit lawsuits against airlines and other entities.) The fund stopped operating in 2004, as planned. But in 2010, lawmakers pushed to reauthorize it, this time to provide medical care and financial aid to emergency personnel, volunteers and survivors who inhaled toxic dust, smoke and fumes at the site of the attack. The fund began processing claims again in 2011 and was most recently renewed in 2015. Since 2011, Congress has appropriated about $7.4 billion to the fund.” When COngress reinstated the fund which would only have enough money to last until December 2020. However, Stewart does not want the fund to ever run out, he is very sympathetic to those who were affected by the attacks. Since they cannot do much in terms of providing for themselves since thy are either injured, handicapped, or ill, Stewart views it as the responsibility of the government and people of the country to care for them and provide them with aid. Since the fund has been heavily deleting since February, the amount distributed to people had to be drastically lowered. Stewart’s feelings about the attacks and the survivors have been iminent from day one. The first episode of the “Daily Show” after the attacks occurred was opened by an emotional and heartfelt address by Jon Stewart. “Now it’s gone, and they attacked it,” he said through tears. “This symbol of American ingenuity and strength and labor and imagination and commerce and it is gone.”