Dear John,

On Monday, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and U.S. Senator Bob Casey joined me in Luzerne County to highlight investments in Abandoned Mine Land (AML) clean-up in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. 

Secretary Deb Haaland came to see firsthand what we’re fighting for — Pennsylvania has more unreclaimed abandoned mine land acreage than any state in the country, the majority right here in Northeastern PA. Cleaning up abandoned mine lands will create good paying jobs and pave the way for economic development in our communities.

In Swoyersville, we toured a site of a 40-foot-high pile of coal waste impacting the local community. The coal processing facility at this site closed in the 1970s and has remained a culm bank ever since. Funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will help reclaim the land for use by the community, improve local water quality and reduce flooding. 

Are you having problems with your mail delivery from USPS? I have been receiving a lot of messages and calls from Northeastern Pennsylvanians who report persistent problems like delayed mail deliveries, misdelivered packages and poor service at local post offices. 

Let me know your experience by filing a complaint on my website. I've been meeting with USPS regional managers and will continue to make sure they hear your concerns.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Waiver

For a limited time, borrowers who worked for a qualifying employer may apply to receive credit for payments made on loans that would otherwise not qualify for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF). Under the temporary rules, any prior period of repayment will count as a qualifying payment, regardless of loan program, repayment plan or whether the payment was made in full or on time. You continue to need qualifying employment.

This change will apply to student loan borrowers with Direct Loans, those who have already consolidated into the Direct Loan Program and those who consolidate into the Direct Loan Program by Oct. 31, 2022.

Prior to making these changes, only 16,000 borrowers were able to access forgiveness through the program. According to recent data from the U.S. Department of Education, the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Wavier has already helped more than 76,000 borrowers qualify for forgiveness, totaling $5 billion in relief in just over three months.

Income Tax Filing Season

Income tax filing season is in full swing! The Internal Revenue Service is now accepting tax returns until the filing deadline on Monday, April 18, 2022. 

The IRS is reminding taxpayers about several key items to keep in mind when filing their federal income tax returns this year: File an accurate return and use e-file and direct deposit to avoid delays, collect all documents before preparing a tax return, and use the free resources that are available to help taxpayers file.

Be safe and well,