Jon Stewart Set To Storm Deadbeat Congress With Sick 9/11 Responders Demanding Healthcare

[KamaAina]

http://www.occupydemocrats.com/jon-stewart-set-to-storm-deadbeat-congress-with-sick-911-responders-demanding-healthcare/

Jon Stewart may have left the Daily Show in August, but he isn’t quite done making a difference yet. With a post-9/11 bill aimed at helping First Responders who risked their lives on September 11, 2001, set to begin phasing out, the former TV host decided to help do something to change that.

The James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, named for a New York City police officer who died of a respiratory disease linked to his participation in rescue and recovery operations after the World Trade Center was attacked, came into being in 2010 after Congress was finally shamed — including by Stewart, who spent his final show of 2010 razing lawmakers for their uncaring attitude toward those responsible for dealing with the aftermath of the greatest tragedy in our nation’s history — into passing the legislation that would provide thousands of first responders with treatment for their injuries and compensation for their economic losses.

Unfortunately, the legislation is due to expire in this Congress, with the phase-out beginning next month — an issue that could leave many families without much-needed financial assistance. Stewart has joined with lawmakers and first responders who wish to avert catastrophe by reauthorizing the bill.

This time, instead of humiliating lawmakers on his show, the comedian will be taking a more direct approach. Stewart will join 100 first responders and walk the halls of Congress on September 16 to reason with an oddly-reluctant Congress in person. The Huffington Post reports:

[J_J_]

1. Go Jon Stewart!!

I hope he does lots more of this type of thing with his free time!

[orange you glad]

3. Right on!

Rec 4 Thread.

[mindwalker_i]

8. Ditto

Rec 39 (previous value was 21).

[billhicks76]

24. I Hope He Supports Reinvestigating 911 Too

[bvf]

2. K&R!

Go, Jon!

I also hope he does a lot more of this sort of thing.

He won't pull any punches any more than he did with what's-their-names on Crossfire (although, I guess you can't cancel Congress).

[Dustlawyer]

4. He needs to start by asking each politician how much of a

Kickback of benefits towards a campaign contribution would they have to give for them to pass a funding authorization. That's how the game is played!!!

[MisterP]

5. splendiferous! and then they can tap into the diseased-and-dumped vets' movement

star-spangled rhetoric is so good at linking the two together, and then dumping them when they dare ask for something besides being props to win the current round of votes

[druidity33]

6. Stewart for Pres 2020!

Screw Kanye 2020... I want Stewart/Franken 2020!

[rhett o rick]

12. Sounds good but they'd be always fighting for top bill. nm

[Boomerproud]

7. I love that man. His passion is inspiring.

n/t

[Chemisse]

9. Jon Stewart - you are awesome!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

10. I had forgotten about this shamefulness

Good on Jon Stewart for literally walking the walk. He'll be listened to.

K&R

[mountain grammy]

11. "an oddly reluctant Congress"

indeed! A Congress too busy accepting bribes to the biddings of their corporate masters.

[passiveporcupine]

13. I was hoping he was going to start using his star power to push for changes

He's going to have more time now to devote to special causes.

[Skittles]

14. thanking Mr. Stewart

[Marie Marie]

15. Veterans, Animals and now First Responders...

This is an agenda I can get behind. Go Jon!!

[antigop]

16. Excellent! nt

[Stinky The Clown]

17. ". . . . . to reason with an oddly-reluctant Congress in person."

And therein lies the problem.

[dflprincess]

18. But you can bet they'll all.be paying lip.service

to the first responders come this Friday.

[Stinky The Clown]

21. Absolutely. Just as they have always done.

Why do we have - just as an example - the Wounded Warrior project wherein they get donations to pay for help to vets who came back from CheneyBushwar with devastating injuries? Really? Bake sales to help pay to take care of injured "protectors" of the American people?

Congress loves to make shit happen but never wants to pay for it. Low taxes, dontchaknow.

This low tax/right wing stranglehold on our country is so disheartening.

[SunSeeker]

19. It is not "Congress." It is the fucking REPUBLICANS that are blocking this.

For fuck's sake, headlines like that give cover to the Republicans.

[chapdrum]

20. Congress asks "Must we support

the first responders.
We don't think we have the money for that.

P.S. Support our troops.

[True Blue American]

23. First Responders

The Church I have been attending has a First Responders Breakfast every September It is coming up next week.

[gregcrawford]

22. It's a chicken-and-egg situation...

... did Republicans adopt their pathological aversion to altruism in any and all forms from Ayn Rand, or did she simply express what was in their black and twisted hearts all along?

I sincerely hope that Stewart's efforts make a difference; he's certainly got the street cred to make people sit up and take notice. But he will be dealing with a horde of soulless sociopaths who thought nothing of stating publicly that caring for veterans maimed in Cheney's War of Lies would cost too much money, and they said as much about treating first responders, too. Remember Guiliani fighting tooth and nail to deny ANY services to members of the FDNY and NYPD when they started getting sick?

Jon Stewart should not have to do this by himself; he and the first responders deserve all the support we can give them, in whatever form we as individuals can best manage. Even if it's just letters to the editor, we should make our voices heard.

It is long past time for the Patron Saint of conservatism, Ayn Rand, to be exposed and discredited for the utterly vile person she was, her diseased, bumper-sticker "philosophy" relegated to history's manure pile, and her influence on the acolytes that call themselves Objectivists and Libertarians reviled and rejected totally and completely.

Republicans and corporatists have long considered Rand's verbal vomit to be the cornerstone of their personal philosophies. Tearing away the fundamental rationalizations for their predatory belief system will go a long way to finally cleansing the nation of their extortionate influence.

[Omaha Steve]

25. K&R!