NEW YORK, N.Y. – Jon Stewart joined New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to honour a cancer-stricken Sept. 11 first responder who helped win a fight for health care.

The mayor presented ex-firefighter Ray Pfeifer with a key to the city on Saturday.

Pfeifer rose from his wheelchair to say that the legislation passed by Congress last month extends health care to tens of thousands of World Trade Center first responders.

Stewart and Pfeifer spent weeks in the halls of Congress challenging lawmakers to vote for the legislation that extends federal health monitoring and treatment for Sept. 11 first responders through 2090.

Stewart made sure politicians who balked at supporting the bill were named in the media. The former “Daily Show” host says he was a “wingman” to Pfeifer and other responders.