Stewart Accusation Regarding 9/11 Responders
CAMEROTA: Comedian Jon Stewart accuses the White House of screwing over 9/11 first responders. Stewart and a bipartisan group of New York lawmakers attacking this proposal they believe threatens treatments for the thousands who got sick during recovery efforts at Ground Zero. CNN's Suzanne Malveaux is live on Capitol Hill with more. So what's this about, Suzanne.</s>SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alisyn, this really is a case about if it is not broken, don't fix it. That is the message from Jon Stewart who has been fighting for this program for 15 years, as well as Republican and Democratic lawmakers. There's a real fear and anxiety here that this bureaucratic budgetary move is actually going to impact the ability for these 9/11 first responders to get health care.</s>JON STEWART, COMEDIAN: If you want to stand up and say, we love our first responders in this country, we love our veterans in this country, stop screwing them.</s>MALVEAUX (voice over): Comedian Jon Stewart slamming White House Budget Director Mick Mulvaney for the proposed restructuring of an agency that provides health care to 9/11 first responders.</s>STEWART: It is a special kind of incompetence that takes a program that was fought for, for 15 years by firefighters, police officers, first responders, veterans and survivors that has finally come to fruition and is finally working well. It's a special kind of incompetence to want to turn that upside down.</s>MALVEAUX: The World Trade Center Health Program provides treatment for more than 80,000 individuals suffering from illnesses related to the recovery efforts at Ground Zero.</s>REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), MINORITY LEADER (December 2010): The bill is passed.</s>MALVEAUX: Congress passed the bill in 2010 and reauthorized it in 2015 for 75 years, a fight championed by Stewart and the bill's bipartisan co-sponsors. The Trump administration's budget proposal would separate that program from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, something advocates fear will make it harder for survivors to receive treatment.</s>REP. JERRY NADLER (D), NEW YORK: The expertise of the men and women of NIOSH have saved lives, brought comfort to grieving families and eased the suffering of these injured heroes. Why on earth would we change it now?</s>MALVEAUX: The White House denying that the restructuring will impact the program's funding or services, telling Politico, there will be zero change in the benefits our heroes currently receive and wholly deserve. The proposal simply attempts to align long-term needs of a reimbursement program. But Stewart calling on the president to intervene and blasting Mulvaney for bypassing Congress.</s>STEWART: They'll have to rewrite "School House Rock" as to how a bill becomes a law and one guy screws everything up. That will be known forever as "pulling a Mulvaney."</s>MALVEAUX: Now, Mulvaney's office continues to insist it is not going to impact the funding, this reorganization. And at this point, Chris, it really is just a proposal, it is just a plan, as this public relations battle is full on full-court press. We'll have to see how this all unfolds, Chris.</s>CUOMO: All right, thank you very much, Suzanne. And, look, and people have feelings about Jon Stewart, whether, you know, you're on the left and the right, you'll see him differently. Tomorrow we have P.J. Rycoff (ph), who is the head of the IADA (ph), one of the largest veteran organizations. He's going to come on the show and he's going to tell you what the reality is of the promise to support the troops, OK? Now, what could be a major breakthrough, North Korea agreeing to halt nuclear and missile tests, but they do have a condition. What is it? How realistic is all of this? Next.