Rail Update, Community Projects Progress and Protecting Lab Animals

Dear John,

This week, I helped lead a field tour of the proposed Lackawanna Extension to assess the entire stretch of the proposed rail line linking Scranton to New York City.

Joining me on the excursion that started in Hackettstown, NJ and ended in Scranton were Amtrak VP Nicole Bucich, Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority's Larry Malski and planners from PennDOT and NJ Transit.

In March, we received confirmation that our Corridor I.D. rail application was officially submitted to the Federal Rail Administration - which is a major milestone in our region's history.

Northeastern Pennsylvania has a very compelling and powerful case to get passenger trains rolling again from Scranton to New York City. I truly believe that our application is second to none.

By November first, we will know if our Corridor I.D. rail application has been selected.

Three Community Projects

Receive Funding

More federal dollars that I helped to secure are coming back to the district.

In 2022, I was once again ranked number one in PA for securing Community Project Funding dollars, and I was ranked among the top ten in the country for bringing home a total of $52.6 million in Community Project Funding for NEPA.

This week the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has authorized the release of $16.6 million to support a new facility for workforce development, applied research and outreach in health, science and cybersecurity on the campus of the University of Scranton.

A fiscal year 2023 Community Project Funding award of $3.5 million has been granted to the City of Scranton for the Scranton Police Department Community Policing Technology and Equipment Initiative to help improve community policing efforts with new equipment and technology.

A fiscal year 2023 Community Project Funding award of $2.5 million has been granted to Luzerne County for the Luzerne County Emergency Services Unity project to support 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 in the county.

In Congress, I have remained committed to my promise to bring home every penny of our fair share of federal tax dollars to Northeastern Pennsylvania.

To learn more about these Community Project Funding requests click here.

Legislative Update:

Camp Lejeune Justice Act

One Year Anniversary

This August marks the one year anniversary of one of my proudest moments while serving as your Congressman - getting to witness my Camp Lejeune Justice Act being signed into law.

Between 1953 and 1987, two generations of Marines, Marine families and employees at Camp Lejeune were injured because of the contaminated water at the oldest U.S. Marine Corps base. My bipartisan bill honors the promise made to the American people to address the gross injustice suffered by those serving at Camp Lejeune.

Although it has not erased these mistakes, my Camp Lejeune Justice Act gives victims the opportunity to receive financial support for their life-altering injuries by allowing those who were injured because of the contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and their family members, to bring suit and present evidence for injuries caused by the toxic exposure.

In the year since my Camp Lejeune Justice Act was signed into law, nearly 100,000 cases have been filed, giving those who were impacted the opportunity for restitution.

For more information or to file a claim click here.

Apply to Join

Team Cartwright Today

This summer, I have been so grateful to have the support and energy of interns from all across Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Yasmeen Zaczkiewicz, a graduate student studying political science at East Stroudsburg University, is interning in my D.C. office through the Washington Center and she has been a fantastic addition to our team.

There are still two fall internship positions available in my Hazleton and Scranton district offices. If you, or anyone you know is interested apply directly here.

Protecting

Lab Animals

We at the Cartwright office are proud to announce that the White Coat Waste Project, a government watchdog group that aims to cut federally funded animal experimentation, has named Congressman Cartwright as the recipient of its Annual Congressional Waste Warrior Award.

This recognition celebrates Matt’s leadership on the humane treatment of animals, including efforts to end live tissue training (LTT) in federal labs. LTT involves intentionally wounding live animals and then having trainees attempt to repair the damage. He was also a co-sponsor of the After Act, which would make adoption an option for dogs, cats and other animals in all federal labs when testing ends.

Thank you to the White Coat Waste Project for recognizing Rep. Cartwright’s work and for honoring him with this award.

Be safe and well,

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