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Sen. Rand Paul blocks bill to boost 9/11 victims fund

Posted at 2:21 PM, Jul 17, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-17 15:21:18-04

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has blocked a bipartisan bill that would ensure a victims' compensation fund for the Sept. 11 attacks never runs out of money.

Sen. Paul questions the bill's 70-year time frame and notes that the federal government already faces a $22 trillion debt.

He says any new spending such as the 9/11 bill should be offset by cuts.

Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York is criticizing Paul for playing what she calls "political games."

The bill has 73 co-sponsors in the Senate and easily passed the House last week.

Gillibrand says 9/11 first responders and "the entire nation are watching to see if this body actually cares about the men and women who answered the call of duty" after the 2001 attacks.