Equality

In honor of Deafblind Awareness Week and Helen Keller’s Birthday, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08) today introduced bipartisan legislation to help overcome barriers and identify policy gaps for individuals with combined hearing and vision loss. The Deafblind Disabled Americans Table Approximation (DATA) or Deafblind DATA Act, would require the U.S. Census Bureau to publish…

Today, U.S. Representatives Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08) and John Rutherford (R-FL-05) and U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), reintroduced the Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act which would strengthen the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and ensure that blind, deaf, deafdisabled, and deafblind children receive the same education as…

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) and U.S. Representative Nikema Williams (GA-05) have reintroduced the Time Off to Vote Act, which would require employers to provide their employees at least two hours of paid leave to vote in a federal election. During each election, many wage earners choose not to go to the polls because they simply cannot afford to take time off from work.…

A local services agency honored U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright on Tuesday with an award for distinguished public service. Maternal and Family Health Services gave Cartwright the award for helping the agency secure $2.1 million in federal funding for its new Circle of Care program. Offered at Scranton and Hazleton sites, the program provides expanded, comprehensive prenatal, obstetric,…

A healthcare office in the Electric City has a new location. The agency’s goal is to improve the health of local women and children and the grand opening was held Tuesday afternoon. The new facility is aimed at helping pregnant women and infants in need. The maternal and family health services’ new circle of care program held a ribbon cutting late Tuesday afternoon. Congressman Matt…

Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) joined representatives from YMCAs throughout the region at a press conference held Wednesday morning to unveil a new Wellbeing Initiative thanks to $1.85 million in federal Community Project Funding he secured. The $1.85 million will allow YMCAs in the Greater Scranton area, the Wyoming Valley area, Carbondale, Pittston and Wayne County…

Nearly $2 million in federal funding will bring mental health and substance abuse resources to a YMCA near you.

U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-08), a senior member of the House Committee on Appropriations, announced that all 15 of his Community Project Funding requests were included in the final 2023 federal omnibus spending package that passed today. That means $52.7 million is coming back to the Eighth District for projects that will promote economic development, expand medical and mental health…

Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08), voted to send the Respect for Marriage Act to President Biden’s desk. This landmark legislation takes  several key steps to defend marriage equality by officially repealing the “Defense of Marriage Act” (DOMA), upholding couples’ rights to equal protection under federal law, and requiring states to recognize valid out-of-state…

Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) released the following statement on the first day of the 2023 ACA open enrollment period. Americans must sign up by Dec. 15, 2022, to have coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The open enrollment period ends Jan. 15, 2023: “Open enrollment begins today for the Affordable Care Act marketplace, and I encourage Northeast…