Dear John,

As chair of the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds law enforcement, I am in a unique position to help equip NEPA's police and first responders with funding and technology they need to keep our communities safe.

One of the projects I'm working on is securing federal funding for the Wilkes-Barre Police Department's Community Policing Technology and Equipment initiative, which includes a system that will help them respond to gun-related incidents faster. This important $2.1 million project is all about improving crime response as well as transparency in law enforcement. I'm proud to work with them on this and will keep pushing to get this funding across the finish line.

One of the core objectives of the American Rescue Plan we passed in March to advance our COVID-19 response was to reopen schools for in-person instruction, keep them open safely and help students make up for learning time lost while many were out of the classroom because of the pandemic. So this week I visited a NEPA high school to find how things were going, and I was very encouraged to see how they've been able to reopen with the help of federal relief funding Democrats enacted.

Rep. Cartwright receives a tour from Pocono Mountain West High School Students and Administrators

At Pocono Mountain West High School, they told me they are using their share of the $29 million total that the entire Pocono Mountain School District was allocated over the past year and a half to start summer enrichment programs to assist students who fell behind, purchase new technology and upgrade ventilation to provide for safe in-person instruction, to name a few examples.

Learning and teaching have been enormously more difficult -- and expensive -- since the onset of COVID-19. I was proud to help pass relief funding to help schools provide a safe and productive in-person learning environment for Northeastern Pennsylvania’s students to grow and develop.

I'm excited to announce that my office is looking for a Gold Star Family Member for a one-year paid fellowship, sponsored by the U.S. House, to be a part of our constituent advocacy team serving Pennsylvania Eighth District residents.

To our fallen servicemembers who made the ultimate sacrifice for defending our nation, we promise that we will be there for their families. This fellowship is not only about keeping this promise, it is also about adding to our team someone who knows better than most what it means to give back to our country. It is this perspective that makes Gold Star Family Members well suited to be effective constituent advocates and public servants, and I look forward to bringing one on board very soon.

Gold Star Family Members are eligible for the program if they meet all the following requirements: must be the parent, spouse, sibling, child or step-child of a servicemember who either died on active duty, or of a servicemember who received an Honorable Discharge and died due to a service connected disability within four years of military separation.

Just as the monthly Child Tax Credit tax cut payments for September starting hitting NEPA families' bank accounts on Wednesday, we got a new report that showed just how big of an impact this tax relief is having in our area.

An estimated 96,000 Child Tax Credit monthly payments were sent to families in the Eighth Congressional District in August, for a total of $30.8 million.

Across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, 1.3 million tax cut payments went to families in August for a total of $554.2 million. The average payment was $424.

This tax cut enacted through the American Rescue Plan is helping tens of thousands of Northeastern Pennsylvania families catch up on bills and pay for things like child care, gas and groceries, while supporting local jobs and businesses.

Thanks for reading. As always, be safe and well.