In the News

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-08) is asking for public input from regional farmers, consumers and all those involved in the agriculture industry as Congress once again prepares a new Farm Bill. Every five years, Congress crafts farm bill legislation to address the country’s agricultural and food policy needs. The last farm bill was passed in 2018 and Congress is currently preparing…

U.S. Representatives Matt Cartwright and Glenn Thompson recently introduced Eric’s Law, a bill that aims to strengthen federal death penalty sentencing. Eric’s Law is named for Eric Williams, a federal correctional officer who was murdered by an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary Canaan in Wayne County who was already serving a life sentence for murder. Following a trial, the inmate was…

U.S. Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson and Matt Cartwright today introduced Eric’s Law, a bill that aims to deliver justice to victims and their families in federal death penalty cases. Eric’s Law is named for Eric Williams, a federal correctional officer who was brutally murdered by Jessie Con-ui, an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary Canaan in Wayne County. Con-ui was…

An effort to develop the industrial hemp industry is taking root in the city. Vytal Plant Science Research, a nonprofit biotechnology corporation in Hazleton, secured a $1 million National Science Foundation grant for developing an industrial hemp engine that company representatives say is intended to restore Pennsylvania’s role as a major player in the industrial hemp…

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright has announced that the National Science Foundation has awarded a $1 million Regional Innovation Engines Development award to Hazleton-based Vytal Plant Science Research for the development of an Industrial Hemp Engine as part of its newly launched Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program. Cartwright, D-Moosic, and Ranking Member of the Commerce, Justice…

U.S. Congress will once again consider a proposed law named after a slain correctional officer from Nanticoke that could change the rules in the sentencing phase of federal death penalty cases. Eric’s Law, named in honor of murdered correctional officer Eric Williams, would allow federal prosecutors the opportunity to impanel second jury for sentencing purposes if the first jury…

 In introducing “Eric’s Law” — named for Eric Williams, a federal correctional officer who was brutally murdered by an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary Canaan in Wayne County, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright said corrections officers face tremendous risk to their safety each and every day. “Sadly, we have lost too many good officers and the loss of Eric Williams still weighs heavy on our…

New legislation introduced this week by U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright would revise pay rates for Federal Bureau of Prisons employees. Cartwright, D-Moosic, on Wednesday introduced the Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act, which would revise locality pay rates for federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees, including correctional officers at the U.S. Penitentiary, Canaan, in Wayne…

During last week’s Congressional recess, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright visited Luzerne County and toured a few agencies. On Tuesday, Cartwright, D-Moosic, was at SCHOTT Manufacturing in Duryea to announce a multi-million dollar defense contract he helped secure for the specialty glass company. The $2.7 million contract will supply Launch Tube Windows manufactured by SCHOTT in support of the…

 U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright visited Schott North America Wednesday morning to tour its operations here and herald a multi-million-dollar defense contract recently awarded to the specialty glass company. The expanded $2.7 million contract with Raytheon Technologies will enable Schott to supply the U.S. Army with infrared glass for its Stinger Missile program, a critical component of…