Don’t get on Jon Stewart’s bad side.

As the host of The Daily Show, Stewart was always on point in political skewering, but last Tuesday, Stewart, respectful and solemn, lectured Congress – specifically, the House Judiciary subcommittee – to a mostly empty room. He spoke about accountability, respect and most importantly, responsibility… theirs.

“… as I sit here today,” Stewart said, “I can’t help but think what an incredible metaphor this room is for the entire process that getting health care benefits for 9/11 first​ responders has come to. Behind me, a filled room of 9/11 first​ responders and in front of me, a nearly empty ​Congress.

“It’s an embarrassment to the country and it’s a stain on this institution. And you should be ashamed of yourselves for those that aren’t here, but you won’t because accountability doesn’t appear to be something that occurs in this chamber. …

“… I would be so angry at the latest injustice that’s been done to these men and women. Another business card thrown our way as a way of shooing us away like children trick-or-treating rather than the heroes that they are and will always be…Three hundred forty-three firefighters.

“The official FDNY response time to 9/11 was ​five seconds. ​Five seconds. That’s how long it took for FDNY, for NYPD, for Port Authority, EMS to respond to an urgent need from the public. ​Five seconds. Hundreds died in an instant. Thousands more poured in to continue to fight for their brothers and sisters.

“The breathing problems started almost immediately, and they were told they weren’t sick, they were crazy. And then, as the illnesses got worse, and things became more apparent, ‘W​ell​, ​ okay, you’re sick​, ​but it’s not from the pile.’ And then when the science became irrefutable, ‘​O​kay, it’s the pile, but this is a New York issue. I don’t know if we have the money.’

“And I’m sorry if I sound angry and undiplomatic. But I’m angry, and you should be too, and they’re all angry as well and they have every justification to be that way.

“There is not a person here, there is not an empty chair on that stage that didn’t tweet out ‘Never Forget the heroes of 9/11. Never forget their bravery. Never forget what they did, what they gave to this country.’

“Well, here they are and, where are they?” Stewart said, pointing to the mostly empty committee chairs in front of him. “Your indifference cost these men and women their most valuable commodity: time. It’s the one thing they’re running out of.

“…And the idea that you can give them only ​five more years of the VCF [Victim Compensation Fund] because you’re not quite sure what’s gonna happen ​five years from now​. Well, I can tell you, I’m pretty sure what’s going to happen ​five years from now. More of these men and women are going to get sick and they are going to die. And I am awfully tired of hearing that it’s a 9/11 New York issue. Al Qaeda didn’t shout ‘Death to Tribeca.’ They attacked ​America​, ​and these men and women and their response to it, is what brought our country back. It’s what gave a reeling nation a solid foundation to stand back upon. To remind us of why this country is great, of why this country is worth fighting for. And you are ignoring them. You can end it tomorrow.

“Why this bill isn’t unanimous consent and a stand-alone issue is beyond my comprehension​, and I’ve yet to hear a reasonable explanation for why it’ll get stuck in some transportation bill or some appropriations bill and get sent over to the Senate, where a certain someone from the ​Senate will use it as a political football to get themselves maybe another new import tax on petroleum, because that’s what happened to us in 2015.

“And we won’t allow it to happen again. Thank God for people like John Feals, thank God for people like Ray Pfeifer, thank God for all these people who will not let it happen. They responded in ​five seconds. They did their jobs with courage, grace, tenacity, humility. ​Eighteen years later, do yours. Thank you.”

Civic virtue asks each of us to demonstrate the social consciousness to stand up and speak out, when necessary, whenever our values are challenged; whenever respect, responsibility and accountability are ignored.

Stewart has been speaking publicly on behalf of first responders for years. He delivered a simple, solemn message to lawmakers reminding them of their duties.

For society to be good, all of us need to be alert and available to help whenever and wherever we can.