This week was supposed to kick off a new chapter for Congresswoman Susan Wild.

The 65-year-old South Whitehall Township resident, beginning her third term in office, is representing Carbon County for the first time and although the 118th Congress is off to a delayed start while Republicans sort out who will be House speaker, Wild vowed to hit the ground running in new her territory.

Wild, a Democrat, saw Carbon County added to her district, made up mostly of Lehigh and Northampton counties along with a small portion of Monroe County, during the most redistricting process.

“We have already signed a lease for office space at 1001 Mahoning St. in Lehighton and that will be opening this week,” Wild said on Wednesday. “I’m looking forward to being able to have an open house so that people can stop in and get to know me and tell me what their conccerns and needs are. Carbon County will be a huge focus for me in the first quarter of this year.”

Wild’s Carbon office can be reached at 570-807-0333.

Money for projects

“People should feel free to reach out for assistance with any issues concerning any federal agency, whether it’s a delay in getting tax refund, Medicare issues, Veterans Affairs benefits, Social Security or even small business concerns,” Wild said.

One of Wild’s first goals is speaking with Carbon County leaders about the opportunities for Community Project Funding after successfully bringing over $18 million worth of funding to the district through the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023.

“This past year, we were able to secure funding for all 15 of our CPF requests,” Wild said “It ranges from things like help for the Lehigh Valley airport to helping the homeless situation and helping veterans. So I want to get up to Carbon County and make them aware of CPF and what they can be used for and how the applications work. We need to bring some of those federal dollars back to Carbon.”

Though Wild lost Carbon County and the small portion of Monroe County to Republican challenger Lisa Scheller by just under 9,500 votes in the 2022 general election, she is hopeful to forge a relationship with Carbon constituents early in the new term.

“I was very happy to get all of Carbon County during the redistricting process and not just a part of it,” Wild said. “It has a lot of towns and boroughs with unique interests and part of my challenge is getting around to talk to individuals and businesses about the needs. I spent time in Jim Thorpe when I was a lawyer before joining Congress and I’m really excited about getting reacquainted with the area.”

Mental health focus

As the 118th Congress kicks off, Wild said her goal remains to continue working across the aisle. Mental health, she added, is one of several issues with strong bipartisan appeal.

“That, along with substance abuse treatment, are big focuses for me,” Wild said. “Returning manufacturing to Pennsylvania and to America in general is another one. I hope that there’s going to be an appeal on the other side of the aisle to protect Social Security and Medicare and keep our promises to seniors. That was a real concern voiced by so many of my constituents when there was talk during campaign season by some Republican candidates about slashing Social Security and Medicare. Some of my work will be on the defensive side, making sure that we are not obliterating Social Security and Medicare.”

Another issue on the forefront, Wild said, will be protecting reproductive rights no matter where someone lives.

“Some of my colleagues that I’ve worked with the best across the aisle are people who actually voted for the Respect for Marriage Act,” Wild said. “You can tell by someone’s voting record what kinds of issues you can approach them on to work with them. With the Democrats in the minority in the House, we’re going to have to work harder than ever and I’m ready for that.”

Delays

Meanwhile, Congress can’t get off the ground floor this year until the House elects its speaker, an effort it was scheduled to begin again Thursday at noon.

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy was defeated in six rounds of voting over the past two days.

Congress can’t begin its new session or swear in new members until the matter is resolved.

“We are literally paralyzed and it’s through no fault of the Democratic caucus,” Wild said. “Literally, we can’t get any work done. Our committees can’t be formulated. Soon, on Jan. 13, staff on the Hill will stop being paid.”

A resolution can’t come soon enough for Wild, who said she was not a fan of any adjournment.

“My understanding is that Kevin McCarthy’s allies are the ones that are going to move to adjourn (Wednesday), which I think is outrageous,” she said. “I think we need to keep going even if it means staying around the clock until people get worn down and we have a speaker.”