Politics - News Analysis

Petty Trump Refused to Invite Democrats to 9/11 Bill Signing, Including the Democratic Co-Sponsor

Rep. Carolyn Maloney, the lead co-sponsor of the 9/11 Victims Fund, was snubbed by the White House on Monday, when Donald Trump signed the bill into law during a Rose Garden ceremony, her office said.

A White House official told the print pool reporter that all members of Congress had been invited, but the New York Democrat’s office told CBS News that Maloney “did not receive an invite to today’s bill signing nor did a staff member receive one on her behalf.”

The legislation provides financial aid to first responders and survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks to help them pay their health care bills.

Maloney was a vocal supporter of the bill long before it attracted national attention. She had been wearing a FDNY firefighter’s jacket since February and vowed to never take it off until her colleagues passed legislation that would fully compensate the victims of the 9/11 attack and their families. She even wore the heavy coat at this year’s Met Gala dinner in New York City.

At the time, she reportedly said, “I do not intend to take it off until we pass this bill.”

No Democrats were in attendance whatsoever.

Trump had invited eight members of Congress in total. All of them were Republicans, including Sen. Deb Fischer, from Nebraska.

Maloney’s collaborator on the measure, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) was, by contrast, at the signing ceremony, his office confirmed. A source familiar with the invitations said that both Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both of New York, were invited to the ceremony. But the invitation came at 12:25 a.m. on Saturday.

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