Jon Stewart rips Ted Cruz for rejecting veterans' burn-pits support bill - The Washington post

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within the days on account that Senate Republicans blocked a bill to support veterans exposed to poisonous burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, Jon Stewart has been irate on the GOP for rejecting a measure that at the start sailed throughout the chamber. Stewart, a number one proponent of support for the veterans, has reached out to conservative audiences on Fox information and Newsmax this week to call out Republican senators for what the comic has described as "a shame."

So when Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) pointed out Stewart was incorrect in regards to the bill and accused Democrats of enjoying a "budgetary trick" within the PACT Act, which Cruz voted against despite asserting he supported the bill and veterans, Stewart wasn't having it.

"What Ted Cruz is describing is inaccurate, now not actual, bull----," observed Stewart in a video posted to Twitter.

Stewart mocked Cruz for arguing that Democrats moved "discretionary" spending within the invoice to "obligatory." Cruz referenced the price range policy dispute that become first raised this month by using Sen. Patrick J. Toomey (R-Pa.), who objected to the style the bill would trade the accounting of about $four hundred billion in preexisting veterans spending to make it no longer field to every year congressional appropriations. Cruz changed into seen fist-bumping Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) on the Senate ground when Republicans blocked the invoice in a get together that angered Democrats and veterans companies.

Stewart and Democrats have refuted the Republicans' claims, and the comic challenged Cruz on Twitter to particularly point out within the invoice the $400 billion "clean assess or unrelated spending that become introduced/snuck in."

"Now, I'm no longer a huge-metropolis, Harvard-educated lawyer, but i will be able to examine," Stewart talked about in a mockingly bad Southern accent. "It's all the time been obligatory spending, so the government can't simply bring to a halt their funding at any factor. No trick, no gimmick, been there the entire … time."

A consultant for Stewart didn't automatically respond to a request for comment Saturday. When asked for remark, Cruz spokesman Steve visitor referred The Washington publish to the senator's video posted to Twitter on Friday night.

"Jon, you're a funny guy, and that i appreciate your enticing on issues of public policy. That's a superb thing," Cruz spoke of, retaining that he's a robust supporter of the invoice and the nation's veterans. "but when you're going to achieve this, the information remember."

The lower back-and-forth comes over a bill for veterans' fitness care that up to now had bipartisan aid. The PACT Act would greatly exchange how the branch of Veterans Affairs cares for veterans who were uncovered to poisonous components by compelling VA to presume that definite illnesses are linked to publicity to hazardous waste incineration, primarily concentrated on the subject of burn pits from contemporary wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The invoice would get rid of the burden of proof from the injured veterans.

but weeks after a version of the legislation become accredited by way of the Senate through a vote of 84-14 on June 16, the bill faced a unique fate presently after the condo made modest alterations. Toomey claimed that the PACT Act authorizes $280 billion of recent mandatory spending — which is not area to every year appropriations — and additionally converts the prior $400 billion in authorizations from discretionary to obligatory. The senator argued closing month that the provision turned into a finances "gimmick" that could facilitate big amounts of new appropriated spending — a claim that Democrats have rejected.

On Wednesday, 25 Republicans reversed course from their vote just a month earlier than. The ultimate vote became fifty five-to-42, falling wanting the 60 votes obligatory to beat the filibuster. Three senators abstained.

among the many Republicans who changed course changed into Cruz, whose fist bump with Daines changed into met with backlash from liberals as it went viral on social media.

Democrats have accused Republicans of balloting in opposition t the invoice in retaliation for a deal introduced with the aid of Senate Majority chief Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) it truly is permitting Democrats to movement forward on an financial, health-care and local weather equipment with out Republican votes.

Stewart, who called the style Republicans rejected the measure a "intestine punch," turned into on a media blitz this week on channels like CNN, Fox news and Newsmax that had him ripping the 25 GOP senators for his or her exchange of coronary heart on the invoice. He took intention at Cruz on Friday in an look on MSNBC.

"the most despicable a part of this whole thing is staring at on the Senate ground Ted Cruz fist-bumping and then patting every other on the lower back when they blocked this bill," Stewart noted. He added that Toomey and Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) were "celebrating their victory over veterans with melanoma."

Later that day, Cruz changed into approached through TMZ at Reagan country wide Airport about Stewart's comments.

"He's speaking concerning the PACT Act, which is a bill I help. It's a invoice most senators aid," Cruz advised the outlet. After pointing to the funds "gimmick" mentioned via Toomey, Cruz said the bill became "part of the out-of-control spending from the left."

In his expletive-laden video on Twitter, Stewart trolled Cruz and Republicans for suggesting that language was brought to the invoice with the aid of Democrats "or spending fairies."

"It's nonsense," Stewart mentioned. "There's nothing in the invoice that isn't related to veterans' spending. … this is for veterans who suffered health outcomes from burn pits and other toxins. that is it!"

Cruz, in a video of his own, again noted Toomey's problem and accused Democrats of altering the invoice with "pork with the intention to supercharge inflation."

"You're incorrect here," Cruz told Stewart in a tweet.

Fox information's Jesse Watters joined Cruz in criticizing Stewart for what the host known as "ginned-up drama."

"I'm now not going to blame Jon for not realizing the entire data," Watters pointed out on his Friday exhibit. "Going ahead, let's do this: I'll do the analysis and Jon Stewart can handle the farming. It's superior for each person that approach."

Stewart tweeted that Cruz and Watters had been "making an attempt to rally the forces of misinformation to are trying and kill more vets." He again challenged the senator from Texas to "move the invoice you already had passed."

"This isn't a game," Stewart wrote. "true americans's lives hang in the steadiness…people that fought to your lifestyles."

Eugene Scott and Mike DeBonis contributed to this record.

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