WATCH: Comedian Jon Stewart ‘embarrassed’ by treatment of 9/11 first responders

Some things are just not funny – even for Jon Stewart.

The comedian is lending his star power to the push for Congress to renew a bill providing health benefits to firefighters, police officers and others who responded to Ground Zero in New York following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001.

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The former Daily Show host said Wednesday he’s “embarrassed” by the actions of U.S. lawmakers who opposed expanding health care for people made sick by their work during 9/11.

“I want to apologize to all the men and women, to the first-responders that you had to come down here today,” Stewart told reporters Wednesday on Capitol Hill.

“I’m embarrassed for our country. I’m embarrassed for New York. I’m embarrassed that you, after serving so selflessly with such heroism, have to come down here and convince people to do what’s right for the illnesses and difficulties that you suffered because of your heroism and because of your selflessness.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I'm embarrassed for our country. I'm embarrassed for New York. I'm embarrassed that you, after serving so selflessly with such heroism, have to come down here and convince people to do what's right for the illnesses and difficulties that you suffered because of your heroism and because of your selflessness."

Surrounded by several first responders and wearing a New York Fire Deparment T-shirt Stewart spoke about the need to permanently renew this piece of legislation that is set to expire at the then of the month.

“I can stress this enough, why is it incumbent upon our first-responders to consistently push to get the benefits that are coming to them purely for their acts of valour in a wartime situation?,” he said.

“Nobody had to lobby you to rush to those towers on that day. I was living in downtown Manhattan and I can never repay the debt. To the first-responders who came down and brought stability and humanity not just to lower Manhattan but to all of the country, and so I am sorry and I apologize and will hopefully never have to do this again.”

The World Trade Center Health Program was created in 2010 to provide medical help and treatment for 9/11 emergency workers who became seriously ill after being exposed to the toxic environment at Ground Zero. Many developed respiratory diseases and cancers.

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The act is named after NYPD detective James Zadroga, who died at age 34 of respiratory illness after working at Ground Zero. He was excluded from a list of illnesses that qualified for compensation.

But with original bill’s cut-off date of October 2016; advocates for first responders argue many illnesses may not appear until years later and those that fall ill after October 2016 could go without treatment or compensation for their injuries.

House Republicans have opposed the Act’s permanent extension: They want to periodically review it.

Stewart, who hosted The Daily Show for 16 years before stepping down in August, warned that first-responders could be exposed to “toxic levels of bull—t” while in Washington, D.C.

“I have a warning. Today on the hill you will be exposed to possibly toxic levels of bull—t and arrogance. You are strong men and women but these are conditions you may never have faced before. So buckle your seatbelts and let’s get this done.”