Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) speaks during a Breakfast and Conversation event for Utah young professionals in the tech industry at Church & State in Salt Lake City Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT — John Feal is one of the men that ran toward the falling Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. And he doesn’t mince words when he encounters anybody who he perceives is trying to keep money from fellow 9/11 first responders. That includes members of Utah’s congressional delegation.
“Mike Lee lied.”
That’s what Feal told KSL Newsradio’s Dave Noriega and Debbie Dujanovic on the Dave and Dujanovic show on Thursday.
“Mike Lee’s office told us that their office wouldn’t get in the way, in May. They swore up and down. They promised.”
Last week, the House approved a bill that ensures the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund will never run out of money. The 402-12 vote sent the bill to the Senate. And this week Utah’s Sen. Lee (R) and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul (R) voiced their opposition to the bill. In a statement, Sen. Lee said he’s not against assured funding for 9/11 responders.
“Last night Jon Stewart said he believed a billion dollars a year for ten years was a reasonable request for 9/11 first responders. I agree
“That is why I filed an amendment last night funding the program at $10.18 billion over ten years, the exact same amount the Congressional Budget Office estimated the program will need.”
Lee and Paul say they have questions about who will oversee the fund, and how that person or entity will assure that fraud won’t become prevalent.
Despite multiple calls, Sen. Lee has not responded to requests for comment.
You can hear the full conversation Dave and Debbie had with Feal here: