Dear [firstname],

Returning passenger rail services to Northeastern Pennsylvania has been a priority of mine since I first joined Congress, and I am thrilled to report that our rail project has qualified for federal funds.

This week, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg called me with the great news that our project was accepted into the Corridor ID program. This is a significant milestone and represents years of dedicated efforts to restore passenger rail service, which will contribute to our region’s economic growth and vitality.

This rail transportation option will provide residents of NEPA a new form of environmentally and all weather transportation to over 500 destination stations on the Amtrak System across the United States and Canada.

The proposed rail line will create jobs, improve quality of life, and offer convenient travel options for commuters, college students and tourists, alike. It will also connect those of us living in Northeast Pennsylvania to a wider selection of health care services, sporting events, cultural activities and vacation spots.

What’s more, our friends at the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau (PMVB) - under the direction of fellow rail advocate Chris Barrett - completed a tourism analysis that concluded that passenger rail restoration in the Lackawanna Cut Off corridor will generate $73 million in new economic activity each year in the Pocono Mountains alone.

Amtrak has also completed a separate economic impact analysis that concluded restoration of rail service will generate $84 million in new economic activity annually.

This milestone is a major first step, and as this project develops and moves forward I want you to know that my office and I are here to answer your questions. You can email your questions to my office at rail.info@mail.house.gov or call us at 570-341-1050.

Along with state and local officials, I’ll be speaking at a  passenger rail event in Monroe County hosted by the PMVB on Tuesday, December 19, and I’d love to see you there! The event will be held at Kalahari Resort at 6:00 PM on the 19^th and is open to the public.

Huge thanks to fellow rail warriors Larry Malski, Dominic Keating and Bob Hay for their relentless efforts and to Senators Bob Casey and Chuck Schumer, our huge coalition of state representatives and senators, county commissioners and mayors, and everlasting gratitude to our intrepid Governor Josh Shapiro, who on January 14, 2023 — after almost 6 years of preparation — agreed to spearhead our project, and to his PennDOT Secretary, our own Mike Carroll. Onward!

Learn more here.

While back in the district, I enjoyed a festive evening at Stroudsburg's historic Sherman Theater for the Pocono Mountains Music Festival (PMMF) Holiday Concert.

The Pocono Pops! Orchestra put on a wonderful performance, and I was thrilled to see area high school students learning and performing alongside these local professional musicians.

Also performing were three local community theater and dance groups from across Monroe County, and the Pocono Pops! Chorus, which is comprised of eighteen student artists representing seven different Pocono area high schools and two junior high schools!

Inspiring and fostering collaboration between our future generations of artists is important work and I am thankful to Marianne Zychal, President of the PMMF, Maryjane Baer, a PMMF board member and everyone who is helping to create these invaluable opportunities for our local musicians to thrive and for our community to enjoy.

This week, I introduced the Transforming Hiring in Rural Industries and Vital Economies (THRIVE) Act alongside my Republican colleague Congressman Hal Rogers (KY-05) to strengthen our rural communities.

Democrats and Republicans agree - rural communities deserve a seat at the table. This legislation would make sure that the federal government gives these vital communities across the nation every opportunity for growth and economic development.

Specifically, the THRIVE Act would ensure that federal dollars go towards a wide range of needs in rural regions, including conservation of agricultural and working lands to improve soil quality, improvement of online educational resources for teachers and students, strengthening rural broadband, improvements to transportation, and other key priorities.

Learn more here.

Don't forget, December 15 is the last day to enroll in healthcare coverage that begins on January 1, 2024.

Getting covered with affordable and reliable healthcare is quick and easy at Healthcare.gov.