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“Matt Cartwright embodies the spirit of northeastern Pennsylvania, with a proven track record of fighting to defend the middle-class against special interests and Washington insiders who seek to rig the system for big corporations and the ultra-wealthy. Cartwright’s record of bipartisan collaboration and effective representation continues to prioritize the needs of his community. In contrast, Rob Bresnahan’s self-serving agenda, fueled by dark money and out-of-touch backers, threatens to undermine the voices of hard-working Pennsylvanians. Voters deserve genuine advocacy, not a candidate who prioritizes profit over people. That’s why they will reelect Matt Cartwright,” said DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene.
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To: Interested Parties
From: Aidan Johnson
Date: April 23, 2024
Subject: The Case Against Rob Bresnahan
Northeastern Pennsylvanians know Matt Cartwright will always stand up for them because he is one of them. Matt’s ability to work across the aisle and get things done is why voters keep entrusting him to be their representative. In election after election, Matt has defied the political odds because he has built a distinct brand as a fierce defender of fairness, justice and preserving the American Dream for future generations.
Matt has always done what’s best for his community, taking on the corporate special interests to lower prices, protect retirement programs, expand access to affordable health care, and grow the local economy. From his position as the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, Matt has consistently brought home federal funding that creates local jobs and is continuing to improve the day to day lives of his constituents. Whether it’s $19 million to replace aging roads and bridges, millions for local law enforcement, or a new Scranton to NYC passenger rail train that will energize the local economy, it’s clear Matt works for northeastern Pennsylvania.
That couldn’t stand in clearer contrast to Rob Bresnahan, who is running for office to benefit himself. At the age of 19, Rob was handed the keys to his family’s fortune. Before running for office, he sold out his family’s business to a private equity firm whose investors’ identities are secret, using his money to fund his campaign. Now dark money donors and out-of-touch extremists are filling his campaign coffers to buy this seat for one of their own. While Rob pretends to know what matters most to working class Pennsylvanians, even he admits that he started life “on third base.”
Bresnahan has always put profit over people, and if elected he would continue to prioritize personal gain and partisan politics over the livelihoods of northeastern Pennsylvanians.
Bought And Paid For By Dark Money Donors
After Rob Bresnahan announced his campaign, the dark money donors came calling. AFP Action, a super PAC backed by the Koch network, is all in on Bresnahan. With the support of other Wall Street billionaires, AFP Action has promised to prop up politicians like Bresnahan who will advance their out-of-touch agenda. In the last decade, the Koch network has been one of the chief architects of an effort to cut taxes for corporations and the ultra-wealthy, kill public transportation projects, block bills to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and outsource manufacturing jobs. By supporting Bresnahan, they’re hoping for yet another far-right puppet to do their dirty work in Congress.
Bresnahan celebrated AFP Action’s endorsement, calling the organization “principled.” The question is what part was he referring to? Was it “principled” when AFP tried to kill the $35 dollar cap on insulin and the ability for Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices? What about when they opposed the CHIPS Act that is spurring innovation in northeastern Pennsylvania and helping America compete with China? Or was it their effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act which would jeopardize health care coverage for northeastern Pennsylvanians with preexisting conditions?
Unlike Bresnahan, Matt doesn’t answer to special interests, he answers to his constituents. He voted to cap the cost of life-saving medicine like insulin, voted to create good-paying jobs with the CHIPS Act, and continues to defend Pennsylvanians’ access to affordable health care. To ensure honesty and transparency, he has championed legislation that would shed a light on the dark money in politics and limit corporate influence in our elections.
Beholden To Washington Insiders And DC Extremists
As out-of-touch Republican politicians in Washington focus on petty politics and partisan games, Rob Bresnahan is busy pledging his loyalty to extremist Speaker Mike Johnson. Bresnahan has openly embraced and campaigned in the district alongside such Washington insiders who back an extreme agenda that would reward the ultra-wealthy while raising costs for working-class northeastern Pennsylvanians.
One of the focal points of that disastrous far-right plan is cutting Social Security, privatizing Medicare, and raising the retirement age. But Bresnahan clearly isn’t concerned because it would mean a tax cut for him and his billionaire backers. The plan also called for the House to pass the Life at Conception Act, which would ban abortion nationwide and could outlaw IVF.
When asked if he’d support the plan that guts social security and medicare, raises the age of retirement, increases health care costs, and strips Pennsylvanians of their reproductive freedoms, Bresnahan refused to say.
While he refuses to speak up for Pennsylvanians’ economic and fundamental freedoms, Bresnahan has no hesitation insulting the district’s biggest city, Scranton, saying it “is not what we are.” And at an event with Pennsylvania congressman Dan Meuser, Bresnahan complained that the Republican congressman “gets the good” part of Luzerne County. Rob can barely hide the disdain he feels for the very voters he claims to want to represent, revealing his true colors as a corporate elitist with loyalties only to his rich pals and extremist D.C. insiders.
For Bresnahan, It’s Profit Over People
Bresnahan might have been entitled to his family’s fortune, but he’s not entitled to this congressional seat. After being handed his grandparent’s company and his mother’s business as a teenager, Bresnahan became a bad boss. As CEO, he put his employees’ lives in danger and eventually sold out the workers to a Wall Street private equity firm.
For too long, in places like NEPA, these kinds of private equity firms have left communities grappling with the fallout of job loss. Decades of corporate greed and profit-driven decisions like Bresnahan’s left once-thriving towns and cities reeling from factory closures and economic decline. Wall Street’s relentless pursuit of short-term gains at the expense of American workers shattered livelihoods and the economic backbone of these communities.
But leaders like Matt are fighting against those efforts. In addition to the billions of dollars he secured through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS Act, Matt has brought back over $83 million for community projects that are rebuilding the main streets of northeastern Pennsylvania. Matt knows that when the middle class succeeds, Pennsylvania succeeds. His number one priority is fighting for workers, and he has been a leader in efforts to support jobs in manufacturing, to invest in job training programs and small businesses, and to ensure that the out of touch, ultra-wealthy like Rob Bresnahan finally pay their fair share in taxes.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
The Scranton Times-Tribune: Officials celebrate train announcement with eye on hard work ahead [The Scranton Times-Tribune, 12/11/23]
The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader: Wyoming Area Regional Police Department holds ribbon-cutting ceremony; Cartwright delivers $963,000 [The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, 4/5/24]
WBRE: Matt Cartwright announced $15M is coming to NEPA [WBRE, 3/27/24]
The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader: USDA Rural Development invests $8.7M in Exeter sewer project [The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, 1/3/24]
The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader: Cartwright announces $19M grant for two Pittston bridge projects [The Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, 6/23/23]
Heartland Signal: Pennsylvania GOP congressional candidate disses Scranton, largest city in district, in town hall [Heartland Signal, 4/1/24]
Heartland Signal: Pennsylvania congressional candidate Rob Bresnahan seemingly insults his own voters… again [Heartland Signal, 4/15/24]
PATH TO VICTORY
Matt Cartwright keeps winning for a reason. A pillar of the community with a distinct brand, Matt has consistently overperformed the top of the ticket — winning his last election by 2.4-points in a Trump +3 district.
While Rob Bresnahan has relied on his force-fed Washington talking points, Matt has been delivering real results for his constituents by lowering costs and revitalizing the region’s economy. Matt has also been one of the battlefield’s top fundraisers this cycle and has over $3 million cash on hand.
But what has consistently been key to Matt Cartwright’s success is not the money or who’s at the top of the ticket, but that he has never forgotten who he was sent to serve. At a time when out-of-touch extremists in Washington are busy with partisan games, voters in northeastern Pennsylvania know that Matt Carwright will always have their back. |
