The Senate will vote next week on a House-passed bill to extend the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.

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The bill, which passed the House in a 402-12 vote, would reauthorize funding through fiscal 2090. It's expected to easily pass the Senate.



"In Washington ... this is a recipe for trouble. As we all know, finite authorizations are how Congress ensures that taxpayer money actually gets to its intended beneficiaries and not simply lost in government bureaucracy somewhere," Lee said. His amendment would authorize $10.2 billion for the fund over the next 10 years. It would authorize an additional $10 billion after that. "My amendment would not block or delay the bill's consideration, let alone its passage," he added. Paul's amendment is expected to offer a way to pay for the House bill. The agreement comes after Paul blocked passage of the bill on Wednesday, saying he wanted an opportunity to vote on an amendment that would offset the costs. "It has long been my feeling that we need to address our massive debt in the country," he said. "And therefore any new spending ... should be offset by cutting spending that's less valuable. We need to, at the very least, have this debate." Lee, before setting up the agreement, stressed that he supported extending money for the fund, which pays out claims for deaths and illnesses related to the attack, but had concerns for how long the House bill would extend it for."It has long been my feeling that we need to address our massive debt in the country," he said. "And therefore any new spending ... should be offset by cutting spending that's less valuable. We need to, at the very least, have this debate."

A spokesperson for Paul later told The Hill that Paul "is not blocking anything," adding that he is "simply seeking to pay for it."

Paul's floor move sparked fierce backlash from supporters of the legislation, even though it was only a temporary setback. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) had previously pledged that he would bring up the House bill before lawmakers leave for the August recess.