Jon Stewart, Sen. Gillibrand hold a press conference after Senate vote on the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.
Bill is now up for vote following a block by Senator Rand Paul.
Comedian Jon Stewart stood with several U.S. senators and 9/11 victim compensation fund advocates at a press conference Tuesday and delivered an emotional speech after the Senate voted 97-2 to extend monetary resources, to keep the fund solvent.
"I think we can all agree I'm the real hero. Hard not to see it that way," Stewart said jokingly as the room laughed before the former "Daily Show" host got serious.
"This has been the honor of my life to work with the men and women behind me," he said.
Stewart praised members of the FDNY and other 9/11 first responders by name, including the late Luis Alvarez, before saying that their pain and suffering will continue to rage on.
HERO 9/11 FIRST RESPONDER MAKES EMOTIONAL PLEA IN HIS 'FINAL INTERVIEW' FROM HOSPICE CARE
"Today it's about the heart... and the integrity of Ray Pfeifer. And the courage of Lou Alvarez. And the tenacity of John Feal. They lifted this 9/11 community on their shoulders and they carried them home," he said.
"And I will always be so proud to have been associated with it and we can never repay all that the 9/11 community has done for our country, but we can stop penalizing them. And today is that day what they can exhale because unfortunately, the pain and suffering of what these heroes continue to go through, is going to continue. There have been too many funerals, too many hospices. These families deserve better and I'm hopeful that today, begins the process of being able to heal without the burden of having to advocate."
The two no votes came from Sen Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. Paul had publicly expressed concern over the financing of the bill and said the federal government should look at cutting other non-essential programs, to balance out the budgetary deficit the compensation fund would create.
9/11 FIRST RESPONDER: COMPENSATION BILL 'GOING TO GET PASSED TODAY,' SIGNED BY TRUMP BY FRIDAY
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Feal appeared on "America's Newsroom" hours before the press conference and said President Trump called him and assured him the bill would be signed into law on Friday.
Stewart closed his remarks by pointing to the first responders behind him and promising to stand with them in the future, no matter what comes their way.
"And I will follow you, whatever your next adventure shall be," he concluded.
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