Dear John,

This week, I proudly nominated 17 students from Northeastern Pennsylvania as candidates to the prestigious United States Service Academies.

The U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and the U.S. Naval Academy each require a nomination by a member of Congress to attend.

The nomination process is highly competitive and the privilege of attending a service academy comes with the obligation and commitment to serve in the military upon graduation.

The remarkable nominees from Lackawanna, Luzerne, Wayne, Pike and Monroe counties have proven their willingness to lead and inspire those around them. 

Not only do they excel in academics, but they've demonstrated high moral character, honor and duty to their schools, local communities and their country.

To read the full list of this year's Service Academy nominees from our region, click here. 

To learn more about the Service Academy application process, click here.  

Archbald's Mary Ann Bauman, 85, firmly believes there's no place like home.

That's why I fought hard down in Washington to bring back another $1 million in federal funding to help area seniors like Mary Ann remain in the house she shared with her husband for more than 50 years. 

Neighborworks NEPA's Aging in Place program provides area homeowners age 60 and over with services to allow them to continue living safely and with dignity in their home and community. 

The $1 million in funding celebrated last week at NeighborWorks' Scranton location will provide critical home improvement upgrades in Lackawanna, Luzerne and Wayne counties and was part of the overall $52.7 million in Community Project Funding I secured for our region this year. 

That's $52.7 million coming back to the Eighth District for projects that will promote economic development, expand medical and mental health services, and provide for much-needed infrastructure upgrades.

Bringing our fair share of federal tax dollars back to our region is the main reason I ran for Congress. This funding directly responds to some of the most pressing needs in Northeast Pennsylvania by creating jobs with better pay, making us safer, and strengthening our communities.

To read more about Mary Ann and the NeighborWorks event, click here. 

The Scranton Rail Restoration Coalition is asking supporters of restoring passenger train service between Scranton and New York City to sign their petition.

The petition, which will be forwarded to the Federal Rail Administration, closes Tuesday, Jan. 31. As of today, the petition had 6,839 signatures — or 88% of their goal.

Restoring rail service has been another of my district priorities since assuming office in 2013. Studies have shown that restoring rail service from New York City to Scranton will generate $87 million in new economic activity annually. 

This vital transit initiative will spur new jobs and economic development in the region and connect us to major metropolitan areas in a seamless, passenger-friendly system.

We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something transformational for the economy of Northeastern Pennsylvania thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

This rail project is vital to jobs now and in the future and is a public investment in transportation critical to economic growth and quality of life.

That's why I urge you to sign the petition here. 

And stay tuned to this space in upcoming weeks for some exciting updates from my office and Amtrak. 

As always, thanks for reading. 

Be safe and well,