# "You should be ashamed of yourselves" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 12, 2019, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399 "2019-06-12T01:03:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399/1 "2019-06-12T01:03:27Z")
> [@Jon Stewart](#): > > "Shameful. It’s an embarrassment to the country, and it is a stain on this institution. And you should be ashamed of yourselves for those that aren’t here, but you won’t be, because accountability doesn’t appear to be something that occurs in this chamber.” Jon Stewart’s exact words while [speaking](https://deadline.com/2019/06/jon-stewart-congress-9-11-house-judiciary-committee-shameful-1202630945/) to the House Judiciary Committee because only a handful of members showed up to a hearing to renew the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399/2 "2019-06-12T01:15:06Z")
The man is right. Granted, the Judiciary Committee has a lot of irons in the fire. And apparently the attendance issue was due to the choice of venue more than to committee members being absent: > [@](#): > > … Meanwhile, Tennessee Rep. Steve Cohen supported Stewart’s sentiment but pushed back on his criticism of the committee, noting that the hearing was being held by one of the smaller subcommittees of the House Judiciary and that attendance was actually “pretty good.” The subcommittee, known as the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties consists of 14 members, of whom only California Rep. Eric Swalwell and Pennsylvania Rep. Guy Reschenthaler were absent according to a spokesman for New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler, the subcommittee chairman.\* [Jon Stewart calls out Congress' indifference to 9/11 first responders.](https://slate.com/culture/2019/06/jon-stewart-9-11-first-responders-congressional-inaction.html) If there were only 14 members in the relevant subcommittee, and 12 of them were present, then the choice of venue was the problem (setting up a terrible visual). Still, the issue of short-term funding of this clearly long-term issue is a problem that needs solving. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399/3 "2019-06-12T01:28:20Z")
This country is so embarrassing and just downright evil in many ways. Its been 18 years. In other nations even the homeless get health care. Here even first responders do not. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399/4 "2019-06-12T01:55:25Z")
Jon is one of my most favorite people in the world. I admire him greatly. I wish he ran the world. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399/5 "2019-06-12T02:23:48Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > The man is right. > > Granted, the Judiciary Committee has a lot of irons in the fire. And apparently the attendance issue was due to the choice of venue more than to committee members being absent: > > [Jon Stewart calls out Congress' indifference to 9/11 first responders.](https://slate.com/culture/2019/06/jon-stewart-9-11-first-responders-congressional-inaction.html) > > If there were only 14 members in the relevant subcommittee, and 12 of them were present, then the choice of venue was the problem (setting up a terrible visual). > > Still, the issue of short-term funding of this clearly long-term issue is a problem that needs solving. Well this is interesting; other sources are giving lesser numbers in attendance than yours is. I wonder which news source is correct, or did a bunch come in late? [“A little over half of the 14-member subcommittee members were present, mostly Democrats.”](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/victim-compensation-fund-jon-stewart-lashes-out-at-house-hearing-on-911-responders-bill-you-should-be-ashamed-of/) according to CBS The [NY Post](https://nypost.com/2019/06/11/jon-stewart-shames-lawmakers-for-not-showing-up-to-9-11-victims-fund-hearing/) article lists nine at the hearing, but only eight when he made his remarks. > [@NYPost](#): > > In front of Stewart was ​House ​Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler​ of New York, along with ​Democratic Reps. Steve Cohen​ of Tennessee​, Mary Gay Scanlon​ of Pennsylvania​, Jamie Raskin ​of Maryland ​and the top Republican in the ​Judiciary subcommittee, Rep. Mike Johnson ​of Louisiana. > > ​Democratic ​Rep. Max Rose ​of Staten Island was seated near the witnesses testifying. > > Democrat Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who testified at the hearing alongside Republican Rep. Peter King, sat on the other side of the room. > > Rep. Lee Zeldin, another New York Republican, sat through most of the hearing, but missed Stewart’s opening digs. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399/6 "2019-06-12T02:26:10Z")
It’s routine for attendance to vary during the course of s committee hearing. Members come and go to make statements and ask questions. It’s possible that 12 of 14 members made an appearance at some point, but that there were never more than 8 or 9 present at any one time. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399/7 "2019-06-12T02:43:23Z")
I think the fact that a lot of the committee didn’t show up is just salt in the wound of having to even argue this in front of a committee in the first place. This should have been a simple, unanimous voice vote. The fact that these people have had to show up in person to argue their case, _again_, is obscene. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399/8 "2019-06-12T02:45:25Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I think the fact that a lot of the committee didn’t show up is just salt in the wound of having to even argue this in front of a committee in the first place. This should have been a simple, unanimous voice vote. The fact that these people have had to show up in person to argue their case, _again_, is obscene. This. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399/9 "2019-06-12T02:50:00Z")
My understanding is a number of those absent are supporting or in fact co-sponsored the bill which will rectify this issue. If true, that changes things for me. Committee hearings are routinely minimally attended. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399/10 "2019-06-12T03:00:22Z")
AIUI, House Dems have already written a bill to grant aid to first responders in perpetuity. It will easily pass in the House. It will likely pass in the Senate – if only it would be called for a vote. Guess who is blocking that from happening? McConnell’s depravity is bottomless. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399/11 "2019-06-12T03:55:04Z")
> [@Aspenglow](#): > > AIUI, House Dems have already written a bill to grant aid to first responders in perpetuity. It will easily pass in the House. It will likely pass in the Senate – if only it would be called for a vote. > > Guess who is blocking that from happening? > > McConnell’s depravity is bottomless. His pathological hypocrisy and dishonesty combined with his behavior make me sincerely believe is a bonafide sociopath. I hope he loses his primary for being ‘too liberal’. Even if he is replaced by another republican, its still better than McConnell. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2019, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-should-be-ashamed-of-yourselves/835399/12 "2019-06-12T19:47:59Z")
The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund would be extended until 2090, passed on a voice vote, with no opposition or dissent. Pelosi pledged that it will pass the house. > [@Sen. Shumer (minutes later)](#): > > “As soon as the House passes this bill, it should be on the floor of the Senate immediately as a stand-alone bill,” Schumer said. “I am imploring, pleading and even begging to Leader McConnell to put this bill on the floor as soon as it passes the House.”