U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright said Friday that he is looking forward to leading the newest group of Democrats in the House of Representatives.
"I'm very honored that they did that," Cartwright, D-17, said during a telephone interview of his being chosen as president of the 49-member freshman class of Democrats.
Cartwright, a Moosic Democrat whose district includes all of Schuylkill and parts of Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe and Northampton counties, said he wants to use that post, along with his committee assignments, to serve Schuylkill Countians and the rest of his constituents.
"The top overall priority for me as a congressman is to get past the toxic atmosphere that has developed in Washington," he said.
Toward that end, he and U.S. Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., the president of the freshman Republican class, jointly addressed a meeting of the 84 freshman representatives during a three-day educational session in Williamsburg, Va., a pairing Cartwright said was unprecedented.
"We talked about the importance of getting together regularly," Cartwright said. "It's hard to demonize somebody that you know very well."
Cartwright defeated 10-term U.S. Rep. Tim Holden, a Saint Clair Democrat, in the April 24 Primary Election and went on to best Old Forge Republican businesswoman Laureen Cummings in the Nov. 6 General Election.
He said that in addition to being freshman class president, he has been chosen to serve on two committees: Natural Resources, which he believes will be helpful to his constituents, and Oversight and Government Reform, where he is the ninth-ranking Democrat.
Oversight and Government Reform was one of his first choices, Cartwright said.
"They have a very broad jurisdiction," he said of that panel, which is chaired by U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif. It was the panel that investigated steroid use in baseball and soon should be involved in an ever more momentous probe, according to Cartwright.
"I have no doubt they will be fricasseeing members of the government about Benghazi," he said, referring to the attack on Sept. 11, 2012, around the U.S. Consulate in that Libyan city that killed four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens.
Cartwright also is excited about being on Natural Resources panel, even though it was not his first choice, since it has jurisdiction over mine reclamation, a hot topic across much of his district.
"The only agenda I have there is making sure things are done properly and safely," he said. "The Natural Resources Committee does have jurisdiction over things like fly ash."
One great concern he has is that the mines in the Susquehanna Valley in and around Pittston are full of water, which leads to flooded homes. Furthermore, Cartwright said, the iron in that water tints it orange.
He said that whatever he does, he will make sure he serves the people of Schuylkill County well.
"I intend to go about it the same way Congressman Holden did," Cartwright said. "He was masterful about getting government money into the county."
To help him fulfill that goal, he said he will "shortly" announce exactly where his Schuylkill County office will be. That office will be one of four district offices, joining ones in Easton, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, Cartwright said.
He said he also has retained William Hanley, a former Holden staff member, on his staff as a grant writer. That skill will be even more helpful, now that earmarks have been eliminated, as a way to funnel money into the 17th District, according to Cartwright.
Cartwright said that he will be committed to governing sensibly.
"Americans want us to behave like grown-ups," he said. "We can accomplish more things together."Matt Cartwright
Age: 51
Residence: Moosic
Position held: U.S. representative, 17th District
Party: Democratic
Education: Hamilton College, Clinton, N.Y., bachelor of arts degree, 1983; University of Pennsylvania School of Law, Philadelphia, juris doctor degree, 1986
Career: Lawyer, Munley, Munley & Cartwright, Scranton, 1986-2012; delegate, 1992 Democratic National Convention
Family: Wife, Marion Munley; two children, Jack and Matt Jr.