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Democrat Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand accused Republicans of playing “political games” after a GOP senator Wednesday blocked her effort to permanently fund the 9/11 victim compensation. Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) attempted to pass the legislation by voice vote but was blocked by GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who cited costs and concerns about its effect on the budget. (Levine, 7/17)

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the 9/11 bill would result in about $10.2 billion in additional compensation payments over 10 years, including more than $4 billion for claims already filed. Gillibrand said 9/11 first responders and their families have had "enough of political games." The legislation has 74 Senate co-sponsors, including Gillibrand, and easily passed the House last week. The bill would extend through 2092 a victims compensation fund created after the 2001 terrorist attacks, essentially making it permanent. The $7.4 billion fund is rapidly being depleted, and administrators recently cut benefit payments by up to 70%. (7/17)

Utah Senator Mike Lee placed a procedural hold on the extension of the 9/11 compensation fund Wednesday, blocking it from coming to a floor vote. New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand responded by asking for unanimous consent to pass the compensation bill, which would override Lee's temporary block of the bill. But by voting in the negative, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul ended the motion to unanimously pass the bill, which has significant nonpartisan support. Lee contends that there's still time to get an amended version of the bill passed before the August recess begins. (Goodkind, 7/17)

A spokeswoman for Paul said the senator wasn’t seeking to block the bill, but rather to add a provision to pay for it. Paul’s office said he is proposing cutting $2 billion a year from other federal programs, including agriculture, housing, and mandatory spending. The head of the Fraternal Order of Police, Chuck Canterbury, called Paul’s objection to the legislation “disgraceful.” The International Association of Fire Fighters wrote to Lee on Wednesday urging him to lift his hold on the legislation, which the House passed overwhelmingly last week. (Barrett, 7/17)

Comedian and activist Jon Stewart blasted two Republican senators for delaying a vote on reauthorizing the 9/11 victims compensation fund and a first responder-turned-activist claimed they "lack humanity." The reauthorization bill will eventually pass the Senate, despite the roadblock caused by Sens. Rand Paul, R-Ky., and Mike Lee, R-Utah, Stewart claimed Wednesday on "Special Report." "It's absolutely outrageous, and you'll pardon me if I'm not impressed in any way by Rand Paul's fiscal responsibility virtue signaling," he said. (Creitz, 7/17)

A pair of House and Senate Democrats are demanding answers from the Trump administration about its decision to ban the use of federal funds for research involving fetal tissue. In a Wednesday letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) and Senate Health Committee ranking member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) asked for a host of internal documents and communications relating to the ban. (Weixel, 7/17)