Fourteen years later, 9/11 continues to claim more victims. When the first responders who participated in search and rescue efforts on Ground Zero started getting sick, Congress passed the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act ensure those responders would get medical care. As of Oct. 1, that law has expired, leaving thousands of ailing Americans in the lurch.

The original act passed in 2010 was named for James Zadroga, a New York policeman who died of a respiratory disease after a full month’s exposure to the World Trade Center’s crumbled remains. Zadroga was one of more than 33,000 first responders suffering from a 9/11-related illness, including 4,000 living with cancer.

Reps. Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler and Peter King lobbied for the permanent renewal of the Zadroga Act in an op-ed the day before it was due to expire.

“Congress cannot fail these men and women,” they wrote. “Without action, our 9/11 heroes will receive notices in the spring that our country has failed to stand by them. Tens of thousands of survivors and responders around the country are now facing endless uncertainty.”

Among the act’s most prominent supporters is Jon Stewart, who was instrumental in getting the act passed in 2010 and is lobbying for the law’s immediate renewal. The former Daily Show host told the media that Congress needs to reevaluate where it allocates spending so that it can support first responders and military veterans.

“Why are they balancing the budget on the backs of first responders?” Stewart asked. “I don’t think [congressmen] asked those questions when they created a couple of wars, so why do you have to ask those questions to take care of the people who have been on the front lines of those wars? They should do the same for the veterans, too, by the way, the same thing, you can’t just get tight with money when these guys need help.”

At a rally on Capital Hill, Stewart directly used his signature dry wit to warn his supporters of the battle ahead.

“Today on the Hill you will be exposed to possibly toxic levels of bullshit and arrogance,” Stewart told first responders and their families. “You’re strong men and women, but these are conditions you may never have faced before. Buckle your seatbelts and let’s get this done.”