Today is the day: At long last, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and the Republican-led Senate are finally voting on the bill that would authorize long-term funding for 9/11 survivors and/or their surviving families. In the last month alone, 16 first responders died while Republicans like Rand Paul inserted objections and dragged their feet.
While first responders have repeatedly make the trek to Washington, D.C., to beg the “never forget” crowd for the funding they were promised, there has been no bigger champion of the 9/11 first responders than Jon Stewart. Time and time again, he’s come to the Capitol with the men and women who worked at the toxic World Trade Center location.
Today, Jon Stewart is on hand once again to witness the vote for himself. There was an awkward, joyous moment as he stood in the hallway and Mitch McConnell himself passed him, a moment that was captured by Roll Call photographer Bill Clark.
AWKWARD! It’s notable that McConnell just kept walking. The vote will take place this afternoon between 3:00-4:00 PM ET. Get your tissues ready. It will no doubt be emotional for Stewart, the survivors, and the memories of those who passed, including Luis Alvarez, who died only weeks after appearing with Jon Stewart in Washington, D.C. Alvarez survived 69 rounds of chemotherapy so that he could keep fighting. In his memory, we all have to fight. Never forget is more than a slogan: It’s action.