United States Congressman Matthew Cartwright (D-17) wants to know what issues are important to his constituents.

On Monday, Cartwright made a stop at Bear Appetit Cafe in Jim Thorpe for "Coffee with The Congressman.""I do this because I want to see what the constituents have to say," he said. "I listen to it all and welcome it."Cartwright said that he likes doing the informal events because it provides opportunities to speak with the people he serves face to face.This was the fifth "Coffee with The Congressman" Cartwright has hosted in the 17th District.Of those, he said the number one issue he heard from people is jobs and the economy and how changes need to be made to help bring employment to this part of the country."I'm definitely interested in hearing from everybody," Cartwright said, adding that he welcomes phone calls, letters or emails. "I'm not a knee-jerk kind of guy. I consider everything carefully and take my time to come to my conclusions about votes, policies and all aspects of my job."A handful of Carbon County residents attended the casual event, where they voiced their concerns about hot topic issues facing residents in the district.Helen Torok of Lehighton, who was there representing the Carbon County Alliance for Retired Americans, said she wanted to address retiree issues and congressional voting records on these issues.She commended Cartwright's performance toward helping retirees get the benefits and help they deserve.Dr. Sue Ann Lewine of Mahoning Valley said she was impressed by the congressman."He believes in public services," she said, adding that he cares about the people he serves.Bernie Berlow of Palmerton said he was there to speak about a bill currently in the U.S. Senate that reforms the nation's broken criminal justice system.He wanted to urge Cartwright to support it if it passes the senate.To contact Cartwright, call his Washington, D.C., office at 201-225-5546, his Pottsville office at 570-624-0140, his Easton office at 484-546-0776, or his Wilkes-Barre office at 570-371-0317; or send a message at

https://cartwright.house.gov/contact/email-me.