WILKES-BARRE — As we approach the end of 2024, I asked our federal legislators to share what they were most proud of in their work in Washington, D.C.
We have to begin with the departure of two members of Congress — U.S. Sen Bob Casey, and U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright.
Sen. Casey said he dedicated his career to fighting for Pennsylvanians.
He said he spent his career fighting for restored rail service between Scranton and New York. He said direct rail service between Scranton and New York could generate as much as $84 million in economic activity every year, according to an Amtrak study.
Casey has been advocating for the line since his first term some 18 years ago, and he has sent letters to multiple presidents, secretaries of transportation and other stakeholders during his tenure urging action to move the rail line restoration effort forward.
In October of this year, Casey secured almost $9 million in federal funding from the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) program. This was the first capital investment that the infrastructure law made towards the broader rail service restoration project. It will fund capital work on a 36.6-mile section of the Pocono Mainline — PNRRA’s main rail corridor between Scranton and the PA-NJ border — between Gouldsboro and Slateford.
Tobyhanna and Letterkenny Army Depots
At Casey’s urging, the Biden Administration proposed a rule to end wage disparities at Northeastern Pennsylvania Army Depots — Tobyhanna and Letterkenny.
Currently, salaried employees at these critical national security facilities are included in higher paying locality pay areas than their hourly employee counterparts. When implemented, the proposed rule would increase wages for 2100 Pennsylvania workers by a total of $23 million each year.
Abandoned Mine Land Funding
Sen. Casey has fought to ensure rural communities, especially those whose economies have been historically dependent on the energy and coal industries, are not left behind.
With this round of funding, Casey secured more than $735 million from the Investment Infrastructure and Jobs Act for abandoned mine cleanup.
Cleaning up abandoned mine lands will help create good-paying jobs in rural and energy communities across the Commonwealth, reclaim abandoned mine lands and mitigate the health hazards and environmental pollution from legacy mining sites.
U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright
On the House floor, just days before his 12-year career was to end, Rep. Cartwright delivered an impassioned speech to his colleagues:
“Twelve years ago, I was sent here to Washington to represent the people of Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District. My District, located in the northeastern corner of the Keystone State, is a region defined by its natural beauty, rich industrial history and its honest, hard-working residents.
“When I was elected, I vowed to be, above all else, an effective legislator — to put aside simple party politics and work across the aisle to pass meaningful legislation to the lives not just of my constituents back home, but of all Americans. And that’s exactly what I’ve done.”
Cartwright said in his 12 years in Congress, he had 16 pieces of substantive legislation signed into law by the past three presidents — Democrat and Republican alike.
He said those bills are actively protecting our nation’s veterans, preserving our environment, and reducing government waste.
He said he has also worked to restore passenger rail between Scranton, Pennsylvania and New York City.
“After over decade of hard work, we are finally on the right track, with early construction funds secured thanks in large part to the landmark Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act we passed last Congress,” he said.
Editor’s Note: Much of the following information was provided by Cartwright. The text has been modified to improve readability and add relevant context as needed.
• Native Plant Species Pilot Program Act of 2021. This was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 and signed into law by President Biden on Dec. 29, 2022. This bill established a pilot program in National Park Service (NPS) regions to prioritize the use of native plant species and prevent the spread of invasive non-native species, which can cause irreparable harm to entire ecosystems.
• Safeguarding Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines (STREAM) Act. This was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 and signed into law by President Biden on Dec. 29, 2022. This allows a state to set aside up to 30% of its annual abandoned mine lands grant from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for operating and maintaining acid drainage treatment systems for rivers and streams.
• Route 209 Light Commercial Vehicle Use Act. This was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 and signed into law by President Biden on Dec. 29, 2022. This extended the use of U.S. Route 209 within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to light commercial vehicles until September 30, 2026.
• Commerce Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023. This was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 and signed into law by President Biden on Dec. 29, 2022. This invested $84.2 billion in American manufacturing, economic development and infrastructure improvements to strengthen the economy and improve the lives of the nation’s working people. It also helps law enforcement officials fight crime and improve public safety, while also funding innovative research, advancing trade competitiveness and preparing for extreme weather conditions.
• Military Spouse Job Continuity Act. This was included in the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2023 and signed into law by President Biden on Dec. 23, 2022. This extended for five years a $1,000 reimbursement to military spouses who are forced to pay fees to transfer a professional license or certification due to a Permanent Change of Station (PCS).
• Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022. This was included in the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 and signed into law by President Biden on Aug. 10, 2022. Honors the promise made to the American people to address the health problems suffered by Marines serving at Camp Lejeune.
Editor’s Note: Camp Lejeune’s drinking water was contaminated from 1953 to 1987 due to the improper disposal of chemicals. The estimated concentration of the toxicants were 240 to 3,400 times deemed safe. Reported health problems included higher rates of cancer, leukemia, miscarriages and birth defects.
• Veterans Agent Orange Exposure Equity Act. This was included in the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 and signed into law by President Biden on Aug. 10, 2022. This expanded the presumption of exposure to the Agent Orange for Vietnam War veterans who were deployed to certain areas in Cambodia, Thailand and Laos, between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975. This new presumption of service-connection will allow these Vietnam War veterans to more easily access care and disability benefits.
• NIST Plumbing Research Act of 2021. This was included in the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act and signed into law by President Biden on Aug. 9, 2022. This directed the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, to establish or designate a laboratory to conduct research on premise plumbing in relation to water safety, security, efficiency, sustainability and resilience.
• Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2022. This was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022 and signed into law by President Biden on March 15, 2022. This provided over $75.8 billion to help improve the lives of working Americans everywhere.
• Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act. This was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and signed into law by President Biden on Nov. 15, 2021. This established a pilot grant program at the U.S. Department of Energy to provide nonprofits with the resources they need to improve energy efficiency in their buildings.
• Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act. This was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and signed into law by President Trump on Dec. 27, 2020. This helped schools cut costs and improve energy efficiency in their facilities by streamlining existing federal initiatives and establishing the Department of Energy as the lead agency in coordinating efforts to initiate, develop and finance energy projects for schools.
• Amy, Vicky and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018. This bill was signed into law by President Trump on Dec. 7, 2018. This helps victims of child pornography receive full restitution from their perpetrators. It clarifies an unclear section of a law regulating how courts calculate how much money to award victims and provides victims with the alternative of a one-time fixed compensation payment from the existing Crime Victims Fund.
• Eliminating Government-funded Oil-painting (EGO) Act. This bill was signed into law by President Trump on March 27, 2018. This prohibited the use of federal funds to pay for an official portrait of a government official, including the President, the Vice President, a Member of Congress, the head of an executive agency or the head of an office of the legislative branch.
• Veterans Care Financial Protection Act of 2017 (H.R. 3122). This was signed into law by President Trump on March 9, 2018. This directs the VA to provide additional warnings for veterans and their families about dishonest individuals that prey on sick and elderly beneficiaries. It also requires GAO to conduct a study on vulnerable veterans in need Aid and Assistance (A&A).
• Making Electronic Government Accountable By Yielding Tangible Efficiencies (MEGABYTE) Act of 2016 (H.R. 4904). This was signed into law by President Obama on July 29, 2016. This tasks the OMB to keep inventories of software licenses, train their IT management workforce on how to manage software licenses and use the software license information to manage the agency’s software licenses in accordance with agency policy.
• Wage Grade Employee Parity Act. This was included in the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act of 2015 and signed into law by President Obama on Dec. 16, 2014. This guaranteed that the percentage increase in the prevailing wage for Wage Grade, or hourly, employees is equivalent to the percentage increase received by General Schedule, or salaried, federal employees.
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser
U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, said he supported several important pieces of legislation throughout the 118th Congress. The following is a list of legislation he was involved with and its ultimate fate in Congress.
While many of these bills never received a vote in the Senate, it’s worth mentioning that leaders tend to err on the side of caution with legislation, preferring to only bring bills up for a vote in the narrowly-divided Senate if they know they have enough votes. This allows the Senate to more effectively direct their limited time toward other matters, such as confirming federal judges.
The fate of all HR bills were sourced from congress.gov, a government website that records all of the significant details regarding a particular bill, such as the original sponsor, introduction date, actions taken, as well as the voting records on relevant steps.
• Introduced H.R. 5333, the Investing in All of America Act of 2023, which increases capital available to small businesses, particularly those in rural or low-income areas, and those operating in the national security sector. This bill passed the House via voice vote, though it ultimately died before receiving a vote in the Senate.
• Introduced H.R. 839, the China Exchange Rate Transparency Act of 2023, to prevent China from manipulating their currency and breaking international financial rules. This bill passed the House with bipartisan support, though never received a vote in the Senate.
• Supported passage of H.R. 1, the Lower Energy Costs Act of 2023. This bill passed the House, though was not brought up for a vote in the Senate.
• Supported passage of H.R. 277, the REINS Act of 2023, which would prevent excessive overreach and regulation by the executive branch by requiring that Congress approve any federal rule or regulation with an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more. This bill passed the House, but did not receive a vote in the Senate.
• Introduced H.R. 9477, the SEC REVIEW Act, to hold bureaucrats accountable and make sure they focus on keeping our economy competitive, instead of woke ideologies. This bill did not receive a vote in the House.
• Supported the passage of H.R. 7198, the Prove It Act of 2024, which requires federal agencies to consider the potential costs to small businesses of their proposed rules. This passed the House, though did not receive a vote in the Senate.
Supported passage of H.R. 8371, the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act. This bill passed the House, though did not receive a vote in the Senate.
• Supported legislation that would extend the expiring provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), including the R&D tax credit, bonus depreciation and the small business deduction.
Other activities he was involved with also included:
— Worked to ensure businesses across America continue to have reliable access to capital through legislation, letters and Congressional hearings urging regulators to focus on pro-growth initiatives instead of expanding the bureaucratic state, despite persistent inflation and supply chain challenges.
— Continued to advocate for more federal resources to support the return of commercial air service at Williamsport Regional Airport.
— Led pushback against regulations that would make American businesses less competitive globally, weaken access to capital at home and minimize economic growth — all of which were defeated.
— Fought against regulations and executive orders promulgated by the Biden Administration, such as the LNG export ban and EPA’s WOTUS and Clean Power Plan Rules that would raise prices and make it more difficult for American energy to thrive.
— Opposed the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) rule mandating U.S. public companies report their emissions on their financial statements from up and down their supply chain.
— Collaborated with federal agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to assist hundreds of veterans in accessing more than $1 million in VA benefits they deserve, obtaining service records, and applying for medals, awards or decorations earned from service.