U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright represents Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District and was first sworn into Congress on January 3, 2013. In Congress, Matt is committed to working across the aisle to advocate for working families. Matt’s priorities include strengthening the middle class, creating jobs, ensuring quality health care, protecting seniors, and supporting veterans and military families. A strong believer in working with members of both political parties, Matt has introduced more bills with Democratic and Republican support than any other House Democrat since he was first elected. That is one of the reasons he was named one of the most effective House Democrats by the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking.
Through the American Rescue Plan, Congressman Cartwright has helped secure $11.7 million for NEPA's community health centers and $270 million to help NEPA schools reopen safely. Check out the resources below for you and your business.
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The American Rescue Plan extends unemployment benefits of $300 per week for individuals laid off due to the pandemic until September 6, 2021.
The American Rescue Plan delivers $1,400 stimulus checks (economic impact payments) to Americans. 86 percent of Pennsylvanian adults and 84% of Pennsylvanian children are eligible to receive a stimulus check. As of April 28, 2021, 163 million payments had been disbursed to Americans.
The American Rescue Plan increases and extends benefits to ensure Americans have consistent access to food.
The American Rescue Plan ensures Americans can keep a roof over their head and small landlords receive support to stay in business:
The American Rescue Plan extends the Families First Coronavirus Response Act through September 2021, giving an extension of credits for paid sick and family leave.
Under this legislation, some employees are required to be paid if they are not able to work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this law, employees may receive full or partial pay if:
The American Rescue Plan ensures that every American has access to affordable coverage throughout the pandemic:
The American Rescue Plan makes the child tax credit fully refundable for 2021 and increases the annual amount from the current $2,000 per child to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for a child under age 6)
The American Rescue Plan allots $7.25 billion in additional funds for the PPP loan program and allows more nonprofits to apply.
The American Rescue Plan provides up to $10,000 loans for small businesses in low-income communities that have been most affected by the pandemic.
The American Rescue Plan allocates $16 billion to help shuttered arts venues across the nation.
The American Rescue Plan allocated $28.6 billion to revitalize the restaurant industry.
Matt Cartwright believes that our education system is the key to a fulfilling life, our long-term economic growth and our competitiveness as a superpower.
To continue to produce worldwide leaders, Congressman Cartwright will fight to ensure that every dollar that the federal government puts toward in education is efficiently invested in our students. The Congressman will continue to oppose any efforts to systematically divert funding away from the public schools that will produce tomorrow’s leaders.
Good students are made when education starts early. That’s why Congressman Cartwright opposes any effort to end funding for the federal Head Start program and supports efforts to invest in early childhood education. Later in life, students face challenges funding their postsecondary education. The Congressman is making every effort to ensure that students will be able to attend a postsecondary school of their choosing by protecting and expanding federal financial aid and by reducing the burden of student loans. For those who choose not to attend a four-year college or university education, the Congressman will continue to push for greater investments in community colleges and trade and technical schools.
Congressman Cartwright recognizes the connection between the production of American energy and the strength of the American economy. At the same time, he feels that energy production and environmental protection are not mutually exclusive.
Congressman Cartwright is fighting for an “all-of-the-above” approach to investing in American energy. He believes in utilizing domestic resources in an environmentally responsible manner, finding newer, better uses for older forms of energy production, and investing in sustainable clean energy technologies to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.
Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District is blessed with abundant natural resources and wild areas. From the Delaware River, one of America’s pristine waterways, to the Pocono Mountains, conservation of our abundant natural landscape is an important ecological and economic priority of Congressman Cartwright. To help preserve and protect our water resources, the Congressman will fight to repeal the “Halliburton loophole,“ the provision in the Clean Water Act that allows companies to hide the chemicals that they use for underground hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” and work to revitalize areas that have faced ecological disasters.
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Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Print this Page Share by Email Congressman Matt Cartwright believes it is the responsibility of each generation to strive towards a more inclusive and just society. As a member of Congress, Matt Cartwright will fight to protect and advance the rights of all marginalized populations. He will work tirelessly to overturn discriminatory laws; overcome disparities in our health care, criminal justice, and education systems; and rebuild our economy in a way that works for everyone. |
As a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Congressman Cartwright takes seriously his responsibility to ensure that government is utilizing taxpayers’ hard earned money effectively. He plans to fight hard to combat waste, fraud, and abuse, while ensuring new government programs focus on growing our economy and creating opportunity.
Matt Cartwright believes that all Americans deserve high quality health care regardless of where they live, whether they live in downtown Scranton or rural Wayne County. As we have seen during the coronavirus pandemic, keeping Americans healthy is essential for the safety and economic success of our communities and our country.
To ensure the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania have access to care, Congressman Cartwright will continue to fight to expand health care coverage and support the Affordable Care Act and its provisions that protect our most vulnerable with pre-existing conditions. Denying health care for pre-existing conditions or imposing caps on lifetime coverage is unacceptable and Congressman Cartwright will strongly oppose any legislative attempt to overturn these hard-won provisions.
Congressman Cartwright will fight to lower health care and prescription drug costs so that everyday Pennsylvanians can afford the medicine and care they need to live and thrive. Prescription drug costs are substantially higher in the United States than in other comparable nations. To help alleviate this issue, Congressman Cartwright supports legislation to give Medicare the power to negotiate directly with drug companies, lowering the cost of prescription drugs for Pennsylvanians on Medicare and those with private insurance.
Congressman Cartwright is determined to protect the health care of all Americans whether you are on Medicare, Medicaid, or private insurance.
As he has long said, Congressman Cartwright’s number one priority is to bring good-paying, family-sustaining jobs to Northeastern Pennsylvania. While the people of the 8th Congressional District of Pennsylvania are known for valuing hard work, the recent recession has created a lasting impact.
To create jobs, Congressman Cartwright will act to ensure that Congress is investing in infrastructure, and that the 8th District is getting its share of these projects. Pennsylvania has thousands of structurally deficient bridges that need repair and thousands of unemployed workers who have the skills to correct this issue. The Congressman will act to ensure that the two are linked. Also, Congressman Cartwright will work to expand rail service to the district and bring new clean energy jobs to the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
While addressing our immediate needs is important, Congressman Cartwright also recognizes that we need to create long-term, sustainable jobs so that future generations of Northeastern Pennsylvanians will live in prosperity. To accomplish this goal, Congressman Cartwright will act to bolster our public education system and ensure that this generation of Americans can compete in the world-wide marketplace.
The engine that drives the economy of northeastern Pennsylvania and the United States is small business. Congressman Cartwright will work to ensure that the small businesses in the 8th district are on a level playing field with their larger competitors, so that their growth can continue.
See also information on Jobs and resources for Businesses.
The current housing market remains fragile after the 2008 financial and foreclosure crisis, and home foreclosure rates remain high. In 2012, approximately 8.5 million households with very low incomes faced “worst case housing needs,” meaning that they had no housing assistance and either paid more than half of their income for rent and utilities or lived in severely substandard housing.
However, there are many bright spots. For example, nearly 1.5 million homeowner assistance actions have taken place through the Making Home Affordable Programs, which helps eligible homeowners lower their monthly mortgage payments and avoid foreclosure and assists unemployed homeowners who owe more than their homes are worth. Additionally, as of May 2014, more than 1.3 million homeowners have received a permanent modification through the Home Affordable Modification Program. Through the program, homeowners reduced their first lien mortgage payments by a median of approximately $540 each month saving a total estimated $28.2 billion to date in monthly mortgage payments.
Owning a home is a fundamental American dream, and one that is unfortunately still out of reach for many Americans. Others have found themselves the victim of predatory lending practices and are in danger of losing their homes. Unfortunately, incentives in our financial system made that predatory lending possible: unscrupulous mortgage brokers were not required to provide sufficient information to homeowners, and those who then sold the mortgages had little reason to see that they were sound.
To help address this issue, I support the National Homeowners Bill of Rights Act, which would add several protections for all homeowners, including:
I am committed to working with my colleagues to ensure that those who engaged in these practices are held responsible and that such practices are never allowed again.
Every American deserves a safe and respectable place to live. That’s why I introduced the Stop Foreclosures due to Congressional Dysfunction Act with the support of 66 colleagues. The legislation would impose a 6-month moratorium on foreclosures for individuals who have lost their emergency unemployment compensation (EUC) due to recent congressional inaction. The legislation would require that the Federal Housing Finance Agency direct the Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) – Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac – to establish a six-month moratorium on foreclosures of GSE-guaranteed mortgages for borrowers provided that the borrowers were in good standing before losing their unemployment insurance. I also sent a letter to Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt, co-signed by 77 of my colleagues, asking him take action himself if Congress could not act on my bill.
I also introduced the Truth in Settlements Act a bipartisan, bicameral piece of legislation that would make more transparent the process by which the Department of Justice holds these banks and other companies accountable when they engage in inscrutable business practices like those that caused the mortgage crisis and the ensuing Great Recession.
Additionally, I have urged the House Appropriations Committee to increase funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Counseling Assistance Program, which provides the entire spectrum of counseling for homeowners, including pre-purchase counseling, foreclosure mitigation, reverse mortgages, rental assistance, and homelessness assistance.
As your Congressman, I will always fight to ensure that all of my constituents can find and keep affordable housing.
The Congressman takes very seriously the responsibility that he has to represent local interests in Washington. He is keenly aware of the nuances of and challenges facing this geographically diverse and expansive district.
Over the long term, the district lags beyond the country in job creation. To fight this, Congressman Cartwright is working to create good paying jobs that cannot be outsourced and investing in the small business that drive economic growth.
As an outgrowth of this, the Congressman is working to restore freight and passenger rail service to all parts of the district.
See also information about Our District.
Matt Cartwright will fight to ensure that the United States maintains the strongest armed forces in the world and that American troops overseas have every available item to carry out their mission. The Congressman looks forward to a day when all American forces can come home and will work to ensure that every mission in which our troops are deployed is thoroughly necessary for the national security of the United States. Naturally, the United States will continue to be a strong ally to NATO and Israel.
Congressman Matt Cartwright believes that seniors are the foundation of our communities. Ensuring their financial security and health is one of his top priorities in Congress.
Social Security
Since first being elected to Congress, Congressman Cartwright has steadfastly opposed all efforts to cut Social Security. He understands that Social Security is a promise made to American seniors who have worked hard all their lives, and will always fight to increase Social Security benefits, safeguard the purchasing power of those benefits, improve service delivery, and fix policies that unfairly deprive Americans of the benefits they have earned. To ensure that Social Security is available for future generations, he will continue to support efforts to stabilize Social Security and maintain its solvency by requiring all Americans to pay their fair share into the program.
Medicare
For more than 50 years, Medicare has been crucial for seniors’ health and financial stability. Congressman Cartwright recognizes this and has consistently opposed efforts to privatize Medicare or slash program funding. He believes that seniors have the right to age with dignity, and supports proposals to lower Medicare drug prices and expand hearing, vision, and dental benefits.
Those who have served our country are most deserving of the benefits that they have been promised. Unfortunately, our veterans have not always been shown this respect. Congressman Cartwright promises to honor our veterans’ service by voting to fully fund all programs on which our veterans rely.
As our service men and women return from overseas, many face difficulty in returning to work or securing new employment after a career in the military. Congressman Cartwright understands this difficulty and will work to ensure that all of our returning men and women are given every opportunity to adapt to civilian life.
Rep. Cartwright's funding requests for important community projects in Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District to the House Appropriations Committee are listed on this page.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 10 projects in their community for fiscal year 2022 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the rules governing Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. Cartwright has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
Rep. Cartwright has requested funding for the following projects:
SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE AND RELATED AGENCIES
Lackawanna County Gun and Gang Reduction and Intelligence Project (GGRIP)
Request: $2,000,000
Recipient: Lackawanna County Government, 123 Wyoming Avenue, Scranton, Pennsylvania 18503
Project Description: This request is for community project funding for the Lackawanna County Government, which proposes the development of a targeted and multifaceted approach to aggressively combating violent drug, gang and gun violence within Lackawanna County. The project will allow for the hiring of additional law enforcement and legal staff to expand the existing efforts of multiple stakeholders, effectively focus these labors to increase efficiency and collaboration in and among various partner agencies, and ensure these efforts result in successful prosecution of cases. It will allow for the purchase of the resources and technology needed to achieve these goals, while ensuring the security of local law enforcement as they put themselves at risk to increase the safety of their local community. The proposed project will also work to raise community awareness of these issues, decrease negative perceptions of law enforcement, and increase community engagement through educational efforts and participation in public events by law enforcement personnel throughout the community.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
City of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania's Community Policing Technology and Equipment Initiative
Request: $2,100,000
Recipient: City of Wilkes-Barre, 40 East Market Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18711
Project Description: This request is for community project funding for the City of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania’s Police Department which is looking to improve its community policing 2 efforts by purchasing new tasers and dash cameras that are synced with the police officers’ body cameras and begin recording automatically when the tasers are drawn from their holsters or the police vehicle sirens are activated, as well as the ShotSpotter Respond system, the leading gunshot detection, location and forensic system will be purchased. This software system analyzes audio signals throughout the city for potential gunshots, determines the location of the sound source, verifies if the sound is a gunshot and then sends alert notifications to the police department. This tool has been used in other cities which resulted in a drop of gun assault victims, and the reduction of violent crimes along with homicides. This new technology and equipment will provide police officers and the general public with video accounts of the police encounters and increase transparency and accountability with all interactions. Additionally, the recordings enhance police officer safety, reduce the liability of police departments, provide video evidence to improve conviction rates, and can be used for the training of police officers.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON FINANCIAL SERVICES AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT
Project Elevate
Request: $1,000,000
Recipient: The Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Business and Industry, 7 South Main St., Floor 3, Suite 4, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 18701
Project Description: This request is for community project funding for Project Elevate which encompasses the development of a physical location in the heart of the Wyoming Valley to serve as the launching pad for the re-imagined, post COVID, economic and social revitalization of northeastern Pennsylvania. It features a unique and innovative ecosystem that creates jobs, launches businesses, inspires entrepreneurs and unites individuals within the community – no matter their race, color, gender or age – to engage in a collaborative problem-solving methodology to uplift the community, and solve the most pressing economic and social issues facing our region.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
Shared West End Emergency Services Facility
Request: $2,000,000
Recipient: Chestnuthill Township, 271 Route 715, Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania 18322
Project Description: This request is for community project funding for Chestnuthill Township to build a new Shared Emergency Services Facility that will be multifaceted and centrally located within the community. The new building would serve as an all-in-one facility with space for the West End Volunteer Fire Company, West End Community Ambulance Association, and a Regional West End Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that would serve as the EOC for Chestnuthill, Jackson, Eldred, Ross, Polk and Hamilton Townships and provide an administrative backup location for the Monroe County Control Center (MCCC) as well as the Monroe County Office of Emergency Management (MCOEM). This facility will be centrally located in the Chestnuthill, Jackson, Eldred, Ross, Polk and Hamilton Region of Monroe County, more specifically in the Village of Brodheadsville, at the intersection of SR715 and Firehouse Lane. This project would provide a new and improved facility for ten emergency service organizations within Monroe County.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES
WVSA Warrior Creek Stream Restoration and Abrahams Creek MS4 Stream Restoration & Creek Street Stormwater Basin Retrofit
Request: $7,010,800
Recipient: Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, 1000 Wilkes-Barre St., Hanover Township, Pennsylvania 18703
Project Description: The Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority (WVSA) has recently expanded their purpose and powers to include stormwater management to address a regionalized approach to compliance with Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) regulations. In that regard, WVSA has developed a Regional Chesapeake Pollutant Reduction Plan (CBPRP) that represents a regional effort by WVSA to meet the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) MS4 permitting requirements for 31 member municipalities located in Luzerne County within the Authority’s service area. There are two projects that will be completed: the Warrior Creek Stream Restoration Project and the Abrahams Creek Stream Restoration & Creek Street Stormwater Basin Retrofit Project. The proposed Warrior Creek Stream Restoration Project will satisfy, in part, permitting requirements covered by WVSA’s CBPRP that addresses local surface waters impaired for sediment and/or nutrients from urbanized stormwater discharges. The proposed Warrior Creek Stream Restoration Project is a green infrastructure project that will stabilize and restore approximately 5,450 linear feet (LF) of stream located in Hanover Township, Luzerne County, PA. This stream restoration project will provide a projected 245,000 pounds of sediment reduction per year, as well as reduce annual nutrient loads. Goals for reducing sediment and nutrient loads are identified in the CBPRP as required by the 31 municipalities’ MS4 permits. The proposed Abrahams Creek Stream Restoration & Creek Street Stormwater Basin Retrofit Project will satisfy, in part, permitting requirements covered by WVSA’s CBPRP that addresses local surface waters impaired for sediment and/or nutrients from urbanized stormwater discharges. The proposed Abrahams Creek Stream Restoration & Creek Street Stormwater Basin Retrofit Project is a green infrastructure project that will enhance and restore a stormwater extended detention basin to provide water quality treatment, and stabilize and restore approximately 1,575 linear feet (LF) of the stream that the basin discharges to. The basin is located in Swoyersville Borough, Luzerne County and the stream is located in nearby Wyoming Borough, Luzerne County, PA. This green infrastructure project will provide a projected 209,000 pounds of sediment reduction per year, as well as reduce annual nutrient loads. Goals for reducing sediment and nutrient loads are identified in WVSA’s CBPRP as required by the 31 municipalities’ MS4 permits.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION AND RELATED AGENCIES
YMCA Mental Health & Substance Abuse Support Services
Request: $1,836,730.50
Recipient: The Greater Scranton YMCA, 706 N. Blakely St., Dunmore, Pennsylvania 18512
Project Description: This request is for community project funding for each local YMCA to contract with at least one mental health/substance abuse organization in their community to provide services at the Ys facilities, as well as hire specialized staff to offer added therapy services focusing on the prevention and/or treatment of mental health disorders and drug use, and tobacco and alcohol use among children. Although open to all, the Ys will target low-income community members who may not have access to services, or who may desire alternative service options. Research shows preventative services can reduce hospitalization rates and medical expenses, leading to savings for taxpayers. Through leasing vehicles, the Ys will provide services to community members who cannot access a Y.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
Eradicating Food Insecurity in the Hazleton Area
Request: $1,164,000
Recipient: The Hazleton Integration Project, Inc., 225 East 4th St., Hazleton, Pennsylvania 18201
Project Description: The Hazleton Integration Project (HIP) will utilize a STEAM-based education model to eradicate food insecurity in the Greater Hazleton Area. Age specific STEAM labs will maximize innovative approaches to problem solving and serve as centerpieces to drive and sustain this effort for years to come. Student-led committees will research root causes of food insecurity and drive solutions by incorporating community gardening, logistics, marketing, communication, legislation, and the food supply chain. Additional emphasis 2 will focus on the impact of food insecurity and poverty on mental health. Hundreds of our areas economically disadvantaged high schoolers will be mentored throughout by university students. The project strives to embolden and equip our youth with tools to face the challenges of an increasingly complex, technologically driven world. The initiative has received 11 endorsements from elected officials, business groups, social service organizations, and three universities.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
Recovery To Work Initiative
Request: $3,000,000
Recipient: Wayne County, PA, 925 Court Street, Honesdale, Pennsylvania 18431
Project Description: This project creates a regional hub for treatment and rehabilitation for individuals struggling with addiction and behavioral health challenges. This property provides a unique opportunity to develop a best-practice recovery-to-work model for treatment and rehabilitation that integrates both drug & alcohol and behavioral health facilities with housing, career training, and job placement. Supporting the recovering individual through a longer, stepped-down approach along with access to human services, housing, career development and jobs will mitigate risk factors and address social determinants that affect recidivism and successful outcomes. This project would help to pay for construction of four buildings that would be used in a multitude of capacities to address much-needed drug recovery, mental health and work training initiatives in Wayne County and the surrounding region where such facilities are non-existent or few and far between. The county has already set aside more than $3 million in funding for this project, but the total cost is nearly $10 million. The construction cost alone is $7.8 million so to be able to receive $3 million toward this would be a huge achievement. This initiative would save taxpayers money in the long run as it would offer treatment to drug addicts and those with behavioral health issues and would offer job training to former inmates to keep recidivism low and prison and unemployment costs low. By keeping people who need help out of hospitals and prison would be a huge help to already strained federal and state budgets.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
Lackawanna College Center for Technology Innovation
Request: $2,000,000
Recipient: Lackawanna College, 501 Vine St., Scranton, Pennsylvania 18509
Project Description: This project establishes the Lackawanna College Center for Technology Innovation (LCCTI). This project will serve as a technical and vocational education center for Northeast Pennsylvania. Programs at the LCCTI will include a college-level student program, high school program, and a training site for STEM, industrial technologies, and trades employers for continuing education students. The Center will feature five laboratories to train students for careers in Gas & Electric Vehicle Technology, Smart Design Building Systems, Robotics & Automation, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR) multimedia and Cybersecurity & Information Technology. The Center will host a variety of affordable, short-term training, stackable certificate, and degree programs for traditionally-aged and continuing education students, as well as Tech-Up, a program that will provide high-priority occupation training opportunities to high school students, enabling them to earn academic credit and complete an Associate Degree or industry certification. By offering industry-aligned curriculums in coordination with employers, the LCCTI will be an education-driven workforce development solution for 3 Pennsylvania's 8th District and the Commonwealth. The project will support social and economic development in the 8th District by accelerating Scranton's post-pandemic economic recovery, increasing downtown commerce, and contributing to the revitalization of Scranton's Providence Section. Aligned with Lackawanna College's signature low prices, LCCTI training programs will be affordable and accessible to economically and educationally disadvantaged persons. The project is an investment in the future of Pennsylvania's workforce education strategy and aligns with U.S. and local development goals.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, AND HOUSING & URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES
Moosic Fire & Police Facility
Request: $5,500,000
Recipient: Moosic Borough, 3727-41 Birney Ave., Moosic, Pennsylvania 18507
This project involves demolition of an existing Greenwood Hose Company structure and construction of a combination fire and police facility in the geographic center of Moosic Borough in order to support service demands that surpass the capacity of current facilities. The existing structures need replacement for space, safety, handicap accessibility, and emergency services efficiency considerations, as well the Borough’s ability to adequately serve and protect public housing.
Rep. Cartwright's funding requests for important community projects in Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District to the House Appropriations Committee are listed on this page.
Under guidelines issued by the Appropriations Committee, each Representative may request funding for up to 15 projects in their community for fiscal year 2023 – although only a handful may actually be funded. Projects are restricted to a limited number of federal funding streams, and only state and local governments and eligible non-profit entities are permitted to receive funding. Additional information on the rules governing Community Project Funding is available here.
In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. Cartwright has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested.
Rep. Cartwright has requested funding for the following projects:
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
City of Pittston, Luzerne County: New performing arts center for the downtown district with additional commercial and living space
Request: $4,000,000
Recipient: Redevelopment Authority of the City of Pittston, 35 Broad Street, Suite 202, Pittston, PA 18640
Project Description: This project is for the City of Pittston for 80,000 square-feet of new construction to establish a theater that would be used to feature performing arts, a drop-down screen for motion pictures and event space for community groups in the downtown district. Project plans also include 5,000 square feet of commercial space, joint office space for the city’s Housing and Redevelopment authorities, and a satellite campus for a regional college. This project will have significant economic impacts on city, county, school district, state and federal taxes and will promote the arts, foster educational opportunities and provide additional affordable housing opportunities through the city’s Project Share program as well as space for the non-profit Food Bank Market.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
Lackawaxen Township, Pike County: Paving and resurfacing project for State Route 590
Request: $2,400,000
Recipient: PennDOT District 4, 55 Keystone Industrial Park, Dunmore, PA 18512
Project Description: This project is for 9.1 miles of State Route 590, from the Wayne County line to Towpath Road, which averages 2,646 vehicles a day with drivers on their way to Woodloch Resort, a tourist haven for east coast vacationers, and large living communities including Tinkwig, Lake Forest and Masthope Rapids. Existing road conditions include severe cracking, potholes, depressions and rutting that can – and has - caused damage to vehicles. The proposed project will provide a smoother and safer riding surface while decreasing the cost of ongoing roadway maintenance.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport Authority: Construction of a new T-hangar building
Request: $3,000,000
Recipient: Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport Authority, 188 Airport Drive, Tobyhanna, PA 18466
Project Description: This project will increase economic opportunities for the Pocono Mountains Municipal Airport by constructing a new T-hangar building to house an additional 12 aircraft. Currently, the airport’s largest hangars are filled with smaller aircraft which could be stored in the proposed T-hangar building, thus freeing up space for larger turbine and other regional aircraft and allowing more aircraft to be based at the airport, which means higher revenue for the airport from more rentals and more fuel charges.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES
Marywood University: Nursing and health programs enhancement
Request: $2,607,464
Recipient: Marywood University, 2300 Adams Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509
Project Description: This project will extend Marywood University’s Healthcare Workforce Expansion Initiative. Through student and faculty support, this program will address healthcare staffing shortage in Northeastern Pennsylvania, especially those communities who treat the medically underserved. In partnership with Lackawanna County Career Technology Center and regional health services systems, including Geisinger, this project will help fill the gap in advanced practice professionals in the region, as well as collaboratively transform the healthcare workforce to meet the growing needs of the region’s population.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
Maternal and Family Health Services, Luzerne County: Expanding health services for low-income, at-risk women, family and children
Request: $2,150,000
Recipient: Maternal and Family Health Services, Inc., 15 Public Square, Suite 600, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
Project Description: This project for Maternal and Family Health Services will improve social services already being offered and will specifically increase and enhance services offered to at-risk and low-income women, children and families. Services include but are not limited to behavioral health/mental health services, substance/opioid use disorder care management, nutrition and food security services and visiting nurse and family planning services.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania Adult Living Support Group, Wayne County, Luzerne and Lackawanna Counties: Aging in Place program expansion
Request: $1,200,000
Recipient: Scranton Neighborhood Housing Services, Inc., 815 Smith Street, Scranton, PA 18504
Project Description: A higher-than-average senior population combined with modest incomes and a region where most homes are over 50 years old has resulted in significant needs for critical safety and accessibility modifications for older adults, especially those who are disabled and may require specific modifications. This request for community project funding will expand NeighborWorks’ Aging in Place program and assist older and disabled homeowners with critical safety modification services to help them to continue living safely and with dignity in their homes and community. This proposed expansion will impact Wayne, Lackawanna and Luzerne counties and will help address the significant waiting list of homeowners (over 300) who have been identified as needing these crucial services across the three-county region.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
Friendship House: Rehabilitation and fit-out of facilities in downtown Scranton to provide health care services for underserved populations
Request: $1,500,000
Recipient: Friendship House, 1509 Maple Street, Scranton, PA 18505
Project Description: The new location for Friendship House will yield 21,795 square-feet to provide Whole Person Care. In addition to mental health outpatient and medication management services, the mental health services Friendship House will provide at this new location will include Blended Case Management, Family Based Mental Health, Peer Support Services and Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
United Way of Wyoming Valley: Educational and Support Services to At-Risk Children and Their Families
Request: $3,011,785
Recipient: United Way of Wyoming Valley, 100 North Pennsylvania Ave, 2nd Floor, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701
Project Description: This request for community project funding for the United Ways of Pocono Mountains, Wyoming Valley, Lackawanna, Wayne and the Greater Hazleton Region supports their education and support service programming for at-risk children and their families. Programming includes in-home visits, literacy kits, early learning Pre-K tuition and nutrition services, STEM programming, and behavioral teacher training. These initiatives focus efforts to address barriers during these early years of development, literacy, and love of learning. The proposed programming ensures that students have access to resources, parents and caregivers are supported, and teachers are guided to ensure equity and inclusion in education.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE AND RELATED AGENCIES
The University of Scranton: Construction of a research facility for academic science, health science and cyber security
Request: $19,900,000
Recipient: The University of Scranton, 800 Mulberry Street, Scranton, PA 18510
Project Description: This project will establish a center for workforce development and applied research in health, science and cyber security at the University of Scranton. The facility will serve as a nexus for campus-wide outreach, research and service by engaging academic departments and programs from all three of the University’s colleges and schools. The center would enhance current and support new outreach efforts in health, STEM and cybersecurity, with a special emphasis on engaging K-12 students.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
City of Scranton and Scranton Police Department: Law enforcement training programs and technology upgrades
Request: $3,500,000
Recipient: City of Scranton, 340 N. Washington Avenue, Scranton, PA 18503
Project Description: This project will help improve the Scranton Police Department’s community policing efforts by purchasing new body cameras, mobile video recorders and tasers. The new equipment and technology will allow the Scranton Police Department to manage the use of force reporting, direct supervisor audits of specific incident types and add virtual reality and other training modules for officers.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
County of Luzerne, District Attorney’s Office: The creation of a county-wide emergency first responder unit
Request: $2,500,000
Recipient: Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, 200 N. River Street, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711
Project Description: This project for the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office supports a collaborative effort to create a county-wide unit of first responders from multiple jurisdictions to respond to emergency situations, handle complex investigations, and assist smaller departments with major cases. The Emergency Services Unit (ESU) will include major case investigators, cell phone analyzers and a crisis intervention team to respond to incidents involving individuals with mental health issues and emergency responders trained in responding to high-risk incidents including those involving barricaded gunmen and active shooters. The ESU will be designed to protect the public from violent incidents and to investigate and prosecute criminal offenders.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES
Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority: Stream runoff mitigation and infrastructure upgrades
Request: $4,880,000
Recipient: Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority, 1000 Wilkes-Barre Street, Hanover Township, PA 18706
Project Description: This project for the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority supports infrastructure initiatives that will improve watershed quality in our region's streams and the Susquehanna River by reducing key pollutants (sediment and nutrients). This project also provides infrastructure upgrades to improve the quality of wastewater that discharges into the Susquehanna River, as well as reliable wastewater services for approximately 172,000 residents within 36 municipal service areas.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
Milford Borough: Storm pipe replacement
Request: $5,000,000
Recipient: Milford Borough, 500 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337
Project Description: Most of the existing stormwater pipes in Milford Borough are constructed of galvanized steel and have deteriorated over time and need to be replaced. This request for community project funding will improve stormwater management for Milford Borough by replacing 11,241 linear feet of failing galvanized stormwater pipe and making targeted re-routing improvements. This project is part of a larger initiative of improving the commercial district in Milford Borough and expanding water and sewer treatment plant to thereby allowing restaurants, hotels, offices and manufacturing facilities the ability to expand. Additionally, the county government is housed along this corridor and this upgrade will provide a foundation for continued and expanded governmental services, including legal and court functions.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
SUBCOMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
Archbald Borough: A multi-jurisdictional, Fire and Police Emergency Operations Center
Request: $3,000,000
Recipient: Borough of Archbald, 400 Church Street, Archbald, PA 18403
This project is for building a new, multi-jurisdictional Fire and Police Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in Archbald Borough that will be multifaceted and centrally located within the community. The EOC will serve as a central command and control facility responsible for carrying out the principles of emergency preparedness and emergency management functions. It will also ensure the continuous operation of all borough emergency medical services, fire services and regional police departments.
LINK to Rep. Cartwright certification of no financial interest
Mayfield Borough: Flood protection project for homes and businesses
Request: $2,354,576
Recipient: Borough of Mayfield, 739 Penn Avenue, Mayfield, PA 18433
This project for Mayfield Borough will improve flood protection for homes and businesses. The project involves stabilizing Mayfield’s levee in areas where it is deficient. The levee is approximately 1.68 miles long and protects close to 53% of the town’s residents. The upgrade will add to the levee so that it meets FEMA’s requirement of 3-feet above base flood elevation and will protect the town’s population in the event of a flood disaster.
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Rep. Cartwright's funding requests for important community projects in Pennsylvania's Eighth Congressional District to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee are listed on this page. In compliance with House Rules and Committee requirements, Rep. Cartwright has certified that he, his spouse, and his immediate family have no financial interest in any of the projects he has requested. Rep. Cartwright has submitted the following requests:State Route 115 Corridor Improvements State Route 590 Resurfacing Project Bridge Replacement on State Route 590 over Ariel Creek Bridge Replacement on State Route 590 over Inlet to Finn Swamp State Route 652 Resurfacing Project Blakely Borough Main Street Corridor Improvement Project Crestwood Drive Resurfacing Project Hazleton Bus and Bus Infrastructure Lower Demunds Road Resurfacing Project County of Lackawanna Transit System (COLTS) Transit Facility Sleepy Hollow Road Bridge Replacement |
As a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, I am committeed to ensuring that our federal dollars are spent wisely and in the best interests of the American people.