Former Daily Show host Jon Stewart on Thursday uncorked a profane rant for reporters in response to Senate Republicans blocking the passage of a bill to provide benefits to veterans who were exposed to burn pits overseas.
Although there is bipartisan support for the broad aims of the bill to give vets expanded health care benefits, Senate Republicans objected to language in a new version of the legislation that would reclassify some $400 billion in Veterans Administration funding as mandatory spending instead of discretionary spending.
Stewart, however, accused Republicans of making bad-faith objections to gum up the works and delay passage of the legislation.
"It's the exact same bill, they changed one sentence somehow!" Stewart fumed. "The sentence they changed was about using rural medical practices for the V.A., which apparently triggered a constitutional crisis and it had to be redone. That's all that changed!"
Stewart then fumed that a bunch of veterans who came to Washington D.C. to celebrate the bill's passage were now being told to wait yet again.
"Their constituents are dying!" Stewart said. "And you're going to give them recess? You know, tell [veterans'] cancer to take a recess!... It's a disgrace! If this is 'America First,' then America is f*cked!"
Stewart was then asked what his message was for Senate Republicans.
"Get this done!" he fumed.
Watch the video below or at this link.
\u201cJon Stewart generally stays in the background and lets vets and advocates speak but this morning he is clearly fed up that the Senate failed to pass the burn pits bill. His message to GOP senators who voted against this \u201cget this done, he tells me.\u201d \u2066@NewsNation\u2069\u201d— Kellie Meyer (@Kellie Meyer) 1659019047
