Jon Stewart Going to Congress with 9/11 First Responders to Renew Health Act

Even while he was hosting The Daily Show comedian Jon Stewart found time to help others along the way. And it looks as if that hasn't ended since his time on Comedy Central has come to a close. It's being reported that the former host is going to Congress with a group of 9/11 first responders to get the government to renew the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act.

The Huffington Post is reporting that on Wednesday, Sept. 16, Stewart will walk the halls of Congress with roughly 100 first responders "while they make personal appeals to members."

The bill is named after an NYPD detective who died after being exposed to the "toxic site" on 9/11. It allows for "dedicated and sophisticated healthcare coverage" as well as research for 9/11 responders, per Business Insider.

Unfortunately, funding for that plan is set to end next month. And while it seems that the bill can remain for another year with the money it has, what happens afterwards is anything but satisfying.

Which is exactly why Stewart has decided to take action.

The issue is something he addressed with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand during an appearance on The Daily Show back in July. It was there that he had pledged to help the program, calling the lack of action on the part of Congress "such bullsh*t."

"It's insane," Stewart said. He also claimed, in the interview, that thinking how anyone would oppose renewing the bill makes him "so mad I can't even think straight."

 I was on @TheDailyShow last night, and Jon and I spoke about our fight to renew the 9/11 health programs we passed in 2010. If Congress doesn't act, these programs--which guarantee our ailing 9/11 heroes the healthcare they've earned and deserve--will begin to expire later this year. Please make your voice heard on this issue by calling your Senators and Representatives to urge them to make these programs permanent. The only time anything works in Washington is when regular people stand up and demand action, and we need all your voices to help pass this extension of crucial healthcare for our heroes. [Link to watch episode is in profile.] #renew911health

A video posted by Kirsten Gillibrand (@kirstengillibrand) on Jul 2, 2015 at 9:44am PDT

Since 9/11, 1,700 first responders have died due to being down at the site.

Check out the full interview with Kirsten Gillibrand here. Below is Stewart's reaction on his first episode back from the tragedy on 9/11: