Cartwright talks issues; says more work to be done

WILKES-BARRE — U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright is seeking his seventh two-year term representing the 8th Congressional District, and he said the nation’s economy is a major issue in the 2024 election.

“People really are hurting,” Cartwright said during a meeting with the Times Leader Media Group Editorial Board. “Inflation — pandemic inflation — that’s what caused it. There is a lot of profiteering and price-gouging going on. People understand what’s happening.”

Cartwright, 62, of Moosic, singled out gas prices, saying they have been going “up, up, up.”

“Big oil and gas companies are price gouging,” Cartwright said. “We have to bring down costs generally — and we have to continue to negotiate drug prices.”

Cartwright said he has seen prices beginning to drop, and interest rates are also down, while the stock market has soared to record levels.

“But watching the stock market boom while families live paycheck to paycheck is unacceptable,” Cartwright said. “It tells us that big corporations are profiting from squeezing extra dollars out of your wallet. From gas and groceries, to housing and health care, northeastern Pennsylvanians are being asked to do more with less.”

Cartwright said he has worked to take on the “greed of corporate special interests” who are trying to fatten their bottom lines by overcharging consumers. And he said he is working to cut prices and put money back in the pockets of northeastern Pennsylvanians — “to provide some much-needed breathing room.”

Cartwright said there is much more work to do to build an economy that works for all of America. He said he will continue to fight against corporate greed and will advocate against junk fees that only serve to pad companies’ bottom lines at consumers’ expense.

Cartwright said the current tax system is stacked in favor of billionaires and big corporations — he supports cutting taxes for working people, while asking the rich to pay their fair share. He said he advocated for raising the minimum wage and supporting collective bargaining.

Protecting Women’s Rights

Cartwright said he is committed to fighting for women’s health and freedom. He co-sponsored the Women’s Health Protection Act to restore Roe’s protections into federal law.

Cartwright said he will continue to advocate for expanded access to family planning and IVF, so women across all states can make their own reproductive choices.

“There’s only one person who should make that choice for a woman — herself,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright said in overturning Roe vs. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court stripped women of a right that had been recognized for half a century.

“Returning this issue to the states constitutes a flat-out attack on the reproductive freedom of women who live in the wrong zip code or cannot afford to travel across state lines,” Cartwright said.

Affordable health care/prescription drugs

Cartwright said he believes no one should have to choose between purchasing life-saving medications or buying groceries. He said he helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act — landmark legislation that brought down insurance premiums, capped insulin co-pays at $35 and limited out-of-pocket costs for seniors on Medicare.

“Importantly, it finally gave Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices, reining in Big Pharma and generating meaningful savings for Americans,” Cartwright said.

Protecting Social Security/Medicare

Cartwright said House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, want to cut both Social Security and Medicare and raise the retirement age.

“I’m the only candidate in this race that will protect both,” Cartwright said. “For generations, Americans have relied on Social Security to support them in retirement after decades of hard work. Social Security fulfills a sacred American promise — that everyone can retire with dignity.

Cartwright said he favors expanding Social Security and he said he will oppose any efforts to raise the retirement age. He said he supports measures to enhance the benefits of both current and new Social Security beneficiaries — noting that Cost-of-Living-Adjustments have not been updated since 1972.

“Americans who work for decades deserve to retire with dignity and financial security,” Cartwright said. “I will always put people over politics and fight to ensure our seniors are supported.”

Cartwright said he also supports public education — saying it is the key to a strong middle class. and he said he does not favor vouchers for private school, calling that a “horrific idea.”

Public safety

Cartwright said he has been an unwavering supporter of law enforcement officers and emergency first responders — working to secure additional federal support for law enforcement, including millions more for bulletproof vests, community-oriented policing and training.

Additionally, Cartwright said he secured more than $20 million for police departments and first responders in Luzerne, Lackawanna and Monroe counties over the past two years. He said he also helped jump-start the newly formed Wyoming Area Regional Police Department, improving emergency response for residents.

Cartwright said he has secured federal resources to crack down on gang, drug and illegal gun activity — funding that he said allows law enforcement officials to share intelligence and prosecute offenders to keep streets safe.

“Protecting our community also demands that we address the opioid epidemic, which has hit northeastern Pennsylvania hard,” Cartwright said. “I will always have the backs of our police and first responders, and I will continue to advocate for the tools and resources they need to protect our community.”

Border security

“We have to have control over all of our borders,” Cartwright said. “We have to have quicker adjudication of people wanting to come across the border. Justice delayed is justice denied.”

Cartwright said he favors a tough border bill.

“The current situation on the border is unacceptable,” Cartwright said. “Both parties must come together to address border security and fix the broken asylum process.”

As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Cartwright said he voted to increase funding for customs and border protection by more than $1 billion.

“This funding provides an influx of resources to stop the flow of fentanyl into the United States, hire thousands of border patrol agents and equip these agents with better security technology,” Cartwright said. “This is a serious issue and there’s more we need to do.”

Cartwright said he is committed to working across the aisle to address the issue, and he said he voted with Republicans to fund border wall construction.

“It is well past time for common-sense reforms to secure our border and fix our broken immigration system,” Cartwright said.

Defense and veterans

Cartwright said he will always protect the rights of veterans. He said he has consistently fought to fund veterans’ programs, increase their benefits and has passed legislation that protects veterans from financial scams. He has also delivered millions in funding for the Gino J. Merli Veterans Center in Scranton.

Additionally, Cartwright said he authored and passed the Camp Lejeune Justice Act.

“This bipartisan legislation provides much-needed relief to veterans exposed to toxic chemicals in drinking water at Camp Lejeune, allowing them to receive the benefits and healthcare they deserve,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright called the current Middle East situation “heartbreaking,” saying that it’s always been a tinderbox ready to explode. He said, “Israel is our ally.”

Cartwright said he will work to ensure the U.S. maintains the strongest armed forces in the world and that our service members get the rewards and benefits they deserve when they come home.

“We need a strong military and intelligence community to protect our nation from the many complex security challenges we face across the globe,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright said supporting our service members cannot end once their tours of active duty are complete.

“The members of our military served us,” Cartwright said. “Whether it’s housing, healthcare or mental health issues, we need to ensure they are covered.”

Notes

Cartwright said election integrity should never be a matter of debate. He called Jan. 6 2021, “Insurrection Day.”

“We saw Capitol Police with pistols drawn and misfits entered the Capitol,” Cartwright said.

Cartwright said he is a fighter for all hardworking northeastern Pennsylvanians, standing up to corporate special interests and Washington insiders to lower prices, protect and expand access to health care, and grow the local economy.

Since taking office in 2013, Cartwright said he has introduced more bills with Democratic and Republican support than any other House Democrat. This includes sponsoring bills to fund state and local law enforcement, prevent and prosecute violence against women and expand hearing benefits for seniors on Medicare.

As a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee, Matt has ensured the federal government is deeply invested in northeastern Pennsylvania by bringing home significant federal investment. He has provided funding for economic development, public safety, substance abuse treatment and key infrastructure projects.

MATT CARTWRIGHT BIO

Party: Democrat

Age: 63

Town of Residence: Moosic

Occupation: U.S. Representative

Education: Hamilton College (BA), University of Pennsylvania (JD)

Family: Marion Munley (wife), Jack (son), Matthew (son)

DISTRICT INFO

The 8th Congressional District of Pennsylvania includes all of Lackawanna, Pike, Wayne and parts of Luzerne County, consisting of the boroughs of Ashley, Avoca, Bear Creek Village, Courtdale, Dupont, Duryea, Edwardsville, Exeter, Forty Fort, Freeland, Harveys Lake, Hughestown, Jeddo, Kingston, Laflin, Larksville, Laurel Run, Luzerne, Nuangola, Penn Lake Park, Plymouth, Pringle, Sugar Notch, Swoyersville, Warrior Run, West Hazleton, West Pittston, West Wyoming, White Haven, Wyoming and Yatesville; and the cities of Hazleton, Nanticoke, Pittston and Wilkes-Barre; and the townships of Bear Creek, Buck, Butler, Dallas, Dennison, Exeter, Fairview, Foster, Franklin, Hanover, Hazle (part), Jackson, Jenkins, Kingston, Newport, Pittston, Plains, Plymouth, Rice, Wilkes-Barre and Wright and parts of Monroe County consisting of the boroughs of Delaware Water Gap, East Stroudsburg, Mount Pocono, Stroudsburg; and the townships of Barrett, Chestnuthill, Coolbaugh, Hamilton, Jackson, Middle Smithfield, Paradise, Pocono, Polk, Price, Smithfield (part), Stroud, Tobyhanna and Tunkhannock.