AP Photo/Jacquelyn MartinJon Stewart's passionate plea last month pushing Congress to pass a 9/11 first responders health care bill has landed him an important new role: board member.
The funnyman is set to be appointed to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum board on Thursday, much of that thanks to his passionate efforts last month on The Daily Show on behalf of Ground Zero's Finest.
Call it a position to restore sanity.
Stewart has been a tireless advocate for those who helped rescue victims and clear the ruins of the September 11 terrorist attacks. He devoted an entire episode of his Emmy-winning cable program to showing how the federal government has failed to live up to its promise to take care of these workers, many of whom have died of various ailments as a result.
"He was a big supporter of [the health care bill] and also emceed our annual benefit last year and to both of those causes he exhibited a passion for 9/11 issues that it seemed like a no-branier to us," said 9/11 Memorial president Joe Daniels.
Daniels also confirmed that the comedian plans on attending a quarterly board meeting later today where he's expected to be voted in.
The 9/11 Memorial is scheduled to open to the public by September 11, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the tragedy.