Happy March! We are so excited to bring you the second of our periodic newsletters.

February has been packed full of news, politics, and events! The first month of President Biden’s presidency and renewed Democratic control has been incredibly productive and we’re proud of the work Rep. Matt Cartwright has done on behalf of the district.

COVID-19 Relief is Soon Headed to President Biden

The American Rescue Plan has now passed the House of Representatives and the Senate. The plan includes several incredibly important COVID-19 relief measures including: a fresh wave of $1400 stimulus payments to individuals following the $600 provided in December, renewed federal unemployment benefits, funding to get kids safely back to school, and money for safe vaccine distribution. While not a perfect bill, Rep. Cartwright is proud to have cast a vote in favor of this necessary legislative priority and will vote this week to send it to President Biden for his signature. Read more here.

Rep. Cartwright has reintroduced the HEAR Act

The Help Extended Auditory Relief (HEAR) Act is designed to extend Medicare coverage to routine hearing check-ups and hearing aids. Currently, Medicare covers accidents and emergencies, but most seniors will lose their hearing in a gradual way. And most doctors recommend addressing gradual hearing loss with routine check-ups. 1 in 3 seniors experience hearing loss, so this bipartisan piece of legislation is incredibly important and necessary. Rep. Matt Cartwright is committed to fighting for this bill’s passage.

The For the People Act (H.R. 1) has passed the House

H.R. 1, the For the People Act of 2021, will strengthen and fortify our democracy by implementing much-needed campaign finance and anti-corruption reforms. If signed into law, this bill would shine a light on dark money in our politics, end partisan gerrymandering, improve voting access, strengthen anti-corruption laws, and a host of other necessary reforms. Read more about its importance here.

Rep. Matt Cartwright is working to address slow mail concerns

Over the past few months, thousands of people in the district have lodged complaints of slow mail with Rep. Cartwright’s district office. In response, Rep. Cartwright has put pressure on the United States Postal Service leaders to hold them accountable for improving distribution times. He is also pushing President Biden and Congress to reform the USPS to ensure people are getting their mail on time. Read more here.

Rep. Matt Cartwright announces $4.9 million grant for Luzerne County Head Start

Head Start programs are aimed at providing children educational services and opportunities that focus on early-learning and wellness. Over the last weeks, Rep. Cartwright announced the second installment of a $4.9 million grant for Luzerne County’s Head Start program. He hopes this generous grant from the Department of Health and Human Services will help our children’s learning outcomes.

Rep. Matt Cartwright was formally named to the DCCC’s “frontline” program for 2022

Every election cycle, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) creates a list of the most vulnerable incumbents every election cycle to make sure they get the resources and national attention they need to win. Rep. Matt Cartwright has officially been named on the list for the 2022 election cycle. That means he’s one of the top targets for Republicans in 2022 and we’ll need to give it our all to make sure he wins re-election.

The House Republican SuperPAC names Matt Cartwright as their top target

A memo written by the House Leadership Fund, a SuperPAC aligned with House Republican Kevin McCarthy, has put targets on three House Democrats. And Rep. Matt Cartwright is one of those three members! They believe that they can beat Rep. Cartwright in 2022 by pumping in millions of dark money dollars into the district. We need to show them that just because the district is competitive doesn’t mean Matt is an easy target. So, will you pitch in a grassroots donation so Matt can jumpstart his 2022 campaign this month?

— Team Cartwright