Dear John,

Marion, Jack, Matt Jr. and I want to extend warmest wishes to everyone for a very Merry Christmas and happy holiday season.

From our family to yours, here’s hoping you feel the joy and spirituality of the season!

In 2021, we passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and President Biden signed it into law. This legislation has huge benefits for Northeastern Pennsylvania: 

• The largest investment in Amtrak since its creation will help bring passenger rail back to our area
• Investments in roads, bridges & transit will grow Pennsylvania’s economy by $3.5 billion every year for the next five years
• Every rural area in Pennsylvania’s 8th district will be able to access high-speed broadband internet

And that’s not all! Pennsylvania has more unreclaimed abandoned mine land (AML) than any state in the nation. This legislation reauthorizes the AML Trust Fund and invests an additional $11.3 billion in reclamation and cleanup efforts. Pennsylvania represents 40.7% of the United States’ reclamation costs, so this legislation is transformational for our clean water and reclamation efforts. 

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020 has provided relief to the millions of student loan borrowers across the country by pausing federal student loan payments. Yesterday, I joined with eight of my Pennsylvania colleagues in the U.S. House to send a letter to President Biden requesting his extension of the student loan payment moratorium, which was set to expire on February 1, 2022. 

Within hours, President Biden announced an extension of the CARES Act’s pause on required student loan payments through May 1, 2022. This decision will enable students to complete degrees and graduates get into the workforce as the country addresses the pandemic’s continuing economic challenges. It particularly helps veterans with dependents who are managing educational debt. 

Health Safety over the Holidays

To date, our country has lost over 800,000 of its citizens to COVID-19, with most deaths and hospitalizations coming from the unvaccinated. As we head into the holiday season, it is more important than ever to protect yourself and your loved ones by getting vaccinated. 

The Omicron variant is spreading rapidly, but the vaccines and booster shots are very effective in preventing death and severe illness. Right now, nothing is more important than working together to put an end to this pandemic. Please get vaccinated!  

Be safe and well,