Dear John,

It’s that time of year again: Area students are back in school while members of Congress are back in Washington after a busy summer recess.

In the past four weeks in the district, I attended community events, held official meetings with constituents and local organizations, and toured local businesses to discuss their needs and challenges.

But that's not all.

See below for a roundup of just some of my activities in Northeastern Pennsylvania throughout August.

• I attended and participated in community events honoring and supporting local law enforcement, including Greenwood Police and Fire Company’s groundbreaking for Moosic Borough’s new police and firefighter headquarters, and Hazleton’s National Night Out and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Hazleton police headquarters.

As Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice and Science House Appropriations Subcommittee, I was able to bring home $3 million for the Moosic project with another $2.3 million lined up for Hazleton in FY2025.

• I toured local businesses like Gentex and General Dynamics to learn more about the innovative products being manufactured right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania that are driving job creation and advancements in national – and international - technology.

• I participated in a Tax Justice Town Hall with union and community leaders in Pittston to discuss how we can level the playing field for working families and small businesses when it comes to fair taxation, while sharing my commitment to protecting – and enhancing Social Security and Medicare.

• I provided keynote speeches at events celebrating our region’s cultural heritage and history, including the Pittston Tomato Festival, the Italian Festival, the Old Forge Felittese Festival, Wilkes-Barre Township’s 250th Anniversary Celebration, and the local Indo American Community of Scranton’s celebration of India’s independence, to name just a few.

• I traveled from Cresco to Stroudsburg and from Delaware Valley to Olyphant every weekend to proudly honor the outstanding young people in our district who attained the highest rank of Scouting at their Eagle Scout Ceremonies. As a former Scout Leader, I am incredibly proud to formally recognize these remarkable achievements.

To learn what else I’ve been up to this summer and what’s ahead for me in D.C., read on:

Also this summer, I hosted meetings with PennDOT, the National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration - along with national, state and local public officials - to prioritize the opening of Route 611 within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Thanks to the interagency coordination at these meetings, construction to reopen Route 611 in the Delaware Water Gap Area officially began in August!

PennDOT officials expect it will take roughly eight to ten weeks to complete the project, which will see this major thoroughfare of our community reopened this Fall.

Teamwork got this done.

I am grateful for the partnership with Senator Rosemary Brown and Representative Tarah Probst’s offices, and the multi-level collaboration with National Parks, PennDOT, the Federal Highway Administration, and so many community officials who continued to show up and advocate for this solution.

This major step forward is proof that locking arms at all levels of government delivers real results for the people we serve.

Now that I’m back in Washington, I will be introducing new legislation next week intended to benefit area residents when it comes to water woes.

The National Flood Insurance Premium (NFIP) Transparency Act

The first bill, the National Flood Insurance Premium (NFIP) Transparency Act, will empower district homeowners to better understand – and mitigate – rising premiums under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) newly implemented Risk Rating 2.0 program.

When FEMA rolled out the new Risk Rating program in April of 2023, updates to flood maps across Northeastern Pennsylvania – and the nation - expanded the number of homeowners now required to buy flood insurance and increased premiums for existing NFIP policyholders.

Risk Rating 2.0 has left many Northeastern Pennsylvania homeowners in the dark, wondering why their premiums are going up and what they can do about it. My bill will ensure that the flood insurance rating process is significantly more transparent, which in turn will help policyholders better understand FEMA’s new requirements, research how to lower their property’s flood risk, and protect their financial security.

The Water Advanced Technologies for Efficient Resource Use (WATER Use) Act

The second bill I will introduce, the Water Advanced Technologies for Efficient Resource Use (WATER Use) Act, will encourage water conservation while providing federal funding to help consumers upgrade to water-efficient products to help save money.

Over the past decade, a variety of factors—including inflation, aging water infrastructure, and extreme weather events —have contributed to a nearly 50 percent increase in U.S. water bills. Unfortunately, according to experts, those costs are only expected to rise.

My commonsense legislation will direct federal agencies to give purchase preference to WaterSense-labeled products while providing grants to state, local and tribal governments; wastewater, water and energy utilities; and nonprofit organizations to provide incentives to consumers for the purchase of these water-efficient products.

By improving water efficiency, consumers will benefit from a more robust water supply and lower water bills.

Do you have questions or need help with a federal agency? Don't forget that you can send me a text.

I want to make sure that everyone in the NEPA can easily talk to me about their questions, concerns or just to say hello.

So text "Matt" to 570-365-5004 today, my official text message number, so you can stay up to date on how I am fighting for Northeastern Pennsylvania in Congress.

Be safe and well,