By Susan Wild

U.S. House of Representatives

I always taught my children to think before they speak, but I should clearly take my own advice more often. Some of you may have read about comments I recently made about Carbon County, comments that have since been taken out of context and are entirely inconsistent with my true feelings. Regardless, what I said was regrettable and not at all reflective of the enormous respect that I have for the people of Carbon County and the commitment I have to delivering for them in Washington.

My priorities in Congress have always been driven by what I hear and see from my constituents. Yes, there are a handful of issues that have remained at the top of my legislative agenda since my first day in office - including reducing the price of prescription drugs, improving access to veterans care, and lowering costs for families. But many of my priorities have changed since meeting and learning from the people of Carbon County. Much of what I’ve worked on this Congress is a direct result of what you’ve told me since I became your representative. It was because of conversations with Carbon County families that I introduced the Child Care for Working Families Act, that caps child care costs for families at seven percent of income and invests in the infrastructure to open more facilities. It’s why I co-sponsored the Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act and the Relief for Survivors of Mines Act, bills which would help miners and their families deal with the devastating effects of black lung and hold their employers accountable. And it’s why I joined the Bipartisan Rural Health Caucus, so I can advocate for the rural hospitals in Carbon County that provide essential care to you and your families. I didn’t do any of this because I thought it was politically expedient, I did it because I was listening to you and your families.

To reflect my commitment to Carbon County, one of the first things I did upon winning re-election was open our office in Lehighton, which I’ve been told is among the first federal offices ever opened in the county. This office gives folks a place to come get assistance with any problems they’re having with federal agencies and we’ve been busy doing just that. Last year, for instance, we helped hundreds of Carbon County residents recover thousands of dollars from the federal government. I was thrilled to hold my first town hall meeting of this Congress in Summit Hill and then shortly thereafter brought a group of White House officials to Weatherly to highlight the very real broadband connectivity issues our community faces. Perhaps the greatest honor I’ve had representing this county was when I had the opportunity to share my heartfelt remembrance of my father’s service and honor the sacrifices of all our veterans at the Carbon County Veterans Day Dinner in Jim Thorpe.

Now, some folks in Washington are playing political games and want to tell you that I don’t respect you. The reality couldn’t be farther from the truth. The people I’ve met and worked with in Carbon County represent some of the best America has to offer. From the police forces and firefighters across the county to the hardworking families living paycheck to paycheck, they are people who understand what it means to put in a hard day’s work and to care about your neighbors and your community. More than anything, I’ve learned that they embody exactly why I wanted to serve our community in Congress in the first place: they understand that government shouldn’t be making life harder, it should be making things easier. They don’t want a handout, they just want their government to work for them, not against them.

Regardless of where you live, which county you’re from, or for whom you vote for President, there are a lot of things I know to be true. You still need affordable child care. You still need accessible and high-quality health care. You still need Internet access that’s cheap and reliable. You need to have faith that the Social Security benefits you’ve been paying into your whole life will be waiting for you when you retire. So, while there are some people out there who want to tell you what to think about me, I’d ask you to judge me on my record. Representing you in Congress is the honor of my lifetime - I’ll never stop listening to you and I’ll certainly never stop working for you.

Susan Wild represents the 7th District in the US House of Representatives, which has contained Carbon County since January 2023. You can reach her Lehighton office at (570) 807-0333.