Jon Stewart, a Comedian With a Cause

(Bloomberg Businessweek) -- “You should be ashamed of yourselves,” Stewart, the former Daily Show host, told a sparsely attended congressional hearing in June. His ire was driven by an announcement in February that government aid for this desperately ill group of firefighters and police officers was about to expire. “Sick and dying, they brought themselves down here to speak to no one,” Stewart said, surrounded by victims. “Shameful.”

His emotional testimony got results. Under the spotlight and driven by embarrassment, the House and Senate passed legislation ensuring that the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund will remain solvent through 2090. It guarantees that the 17,600 claimants Stewart advocated for—people who inhaled toxic fumes and dust at ground zero, many now suffering from cancer—won't be stiffed by indifferent legislators. In a highly partisan era that's ground the political system to a standstill, it took a comedian to accomplish something that's eluded Washington: He made Congress work.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bret Begun at bbegun@bloomberg.net, Max Chafkin

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