Matt Cartwright

Democrat Representative of Pennsylvania's 8th district

Representative
Pennsylvania, district 17
January 3, 2013 - January 3, 2015
Representative
Pennsylvania, district 17
January 6, 2015 - January 3, 2017
Representative
Pennsylvania, district 17
January 3, 2017 - January 3, 2019
Representative
Pennsylvania, district 8
January 3, 2019 - January 3, 2021
Representative
Pennsylvania, district 8
January 3, 2021 - January 3, 2023
Representative
Pennsylvania, district 8
January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2025

202-225-5546

@RepCartwright

cartwright.house.gov

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Congresses Served

House Terms

May 1, 1961 (63 years old)

Birthday

American politician and lawyer
Serving as a U.S. representative since 2013
Defeated a 10-term incumbent in the Democratic primary in 2012
Worked as an attorney at Munley, Munley, and Cartwright
Attended Upper Canada College, Hamilton College (BA in history, magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), and the University of Pennsylvania Law School (JD)
Admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar in 1986 and the New York Bar in 2005
Inducted into the International Society of Barristers in 2008
Served on the Board of Governors of the American Association for Justice from 2009 to 2012
Was an on-air legal analyst for NBC affiliate WBRE-TV
Co-authored a legal treatise on litigating commercial and business tort cases
Elected delegate for Bill Clinton at the 1992 Democratic National Convention
Served as District Governor for Rotary International District 7410
Received the Silver Beaver Award from the Boy Scouts of America’s Northeastern Pennsylvania Council
Describes himself as from “the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party”
Supported by MoveOn.org, the League of Conservation Voters, and the Campaign for Primary Accountability
Ran as a self-professed “FDR Democrat”
Opposed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and supported energy legislation that included the Halliburton loophole
Selected as a class president of the new Democratic members of the 113th Congress
Elected Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science and Related Agencies
Member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and other caucuses
Votes with President Joe Biden’s stated position 100% of the time as of January 2023
Supports net neutrality, Medicare for All, and has criticized the Trump tax cut
Voted for the Honoring our PACT Act for veterans and against bills that would withdraw funding from municipalities not cooperating with ICE detentions
Co-sponsored legislation to protect “Dreamers” and criticized Trump’s temporary immigration ban
Introduced the Streamlining Energy Efficiency for Schools Act of 2014
Co-sponsored four bills involving gun control and opposes gun-makers’ legal immunity
Supports re-establishing a passenger rail line between Northeastern Pennsylvania and New York City
Cosponsored a resolution to expel Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress
Voted against the Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2014
Voted against lifting COVID-19 vaccine mandates for healthcare workers and against ending the COVID-19 national emergency in 2023
Supported intervention in Syria and opposed removing U.S. troops without a plan
Voted against condemning Biden’s lift on tariffs for solar panels from China and against removing American troops from Somalia
Supports Ukraine during the Russian invasion and voted to provide Israel with support following a Hamas attack
Married with two sons and resides in Moosic, Pennsylvania
Roman Catholic