Guests to push 9/11 health case

? An ironworker, a paramedic and an attorney who believe their illnesses stem from exposure at Ground Zero plan to attend President Bush’s State of the Union address tonight as guests of New York’s congressional delegation.

They are among those urging Bush to include 9/11-related health-care funding when he proposes his 2008 budget.

John Sferazo, of Huntington Station, an ironworker who worked at Ground Zero and attributes his reduced breathing capacity and other illnesses to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, said he hoped his presence tonight will serve as a reminder of the needs of emergency responders and others.

“This tragedy took 3,000 lives and continues to take our lives today,” Sferazo, president and co-founder of Unsung Heroes Helping Heroes, said at a news conference Monday.