Murtha works overtime to ensure the troops and soldiers have every possible advantage to keep them from harms way. This includes protective equipment and weapon systems that are reliable, as well as state-of-the-art. Murtha fights for the improvements of computer security. He also fights for our ability to respond to biological or chemical weapons. Murtha recognizes that quality personnel are our military's backbone. Due to this, Murtha pushes for better pay, pensions, health-care, and quality-of-life amenities to help keep well-trained people in service and keeping morale high.
Johnstown experienced a flood in 1977 that caused the local steel industry never able to completely recover. In 1983, the area had the highest unemployment rate, consisting of 24 percent. Murtha worked to rebuild and diversity the economy of the 12th district.
Murtha believes that a key component to economic development lies in building the infrastructure. He says, “Although sewage and water are not a sexy topic, it has been and remains key, especially in rural areas.” In the past thirty years or more, there have been millions of dollars spent on projects to open up new areas for development, as well as sustaining already established areas so they can grow.
Murtha also has implemented a funding program that helps workers to improve their skills in the workforce, as well as improving productivity and quality. Thanks to these funding programs, companies have improved so much that they are doing work for the U.S. Military. The U.S. Military is known for having the most stringent requirements of the manufacturers. These funding programs build companies which are now attracting defense contractors and subcontractors thus helping the district to diversity their economy.
Murtha has funded programs that help their agricultural businesses. He helped to start the Center for Global Competitiveness that has opened many export markets that support growth in various local industries, including the hardwoods industry.
Pennsylvania's second largest industry is Tourism. Murtha has funded programs to help develop and market the tourist attractions in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Recreation is important to the young professionals in Murtha's district. Due to this, he has backed numerous rails-to-trails projects. One of them is a continuous trail from Pittsburgh to Washington D.C. This project is almost completed.
Murtha tries to make the economy better in all aspects. He is trying to diversify the economy so that the young people will be able to stay in the area, but have a choice as to what they can pursue.
Murtha has been a strong advocate to help communities to build and upgrade the sewage-treatment and water systems. He is also trying to get mine-drainage treatment systems that will help to clean up the streams.
Due to the regions history of coal mining, abandoned mine drainage is the biggest cause for water pollution. Murtha was one of the first Congressmen to realize that wetland-based passive-treatment systems could remove the acid, as well as other pollutants like iron oxide. He has worked with local watershed groups as well as national level groups. He works and pushes the Abandoned Mine Lands Fund. He also plays a large key factor in creating the Appalachian Clean Streams Initiative. He was given he Lifetime Achievement Award of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council because of this. He has also received the Conservation in Progress Award, the Riverperson of the Year Award and the John “Bear Man” Kruetz Award from the local organizations.
Murtha campaigns for National parks, both local and across the country and has received many awards for his efforts. He believes that they are “jewels that must be preserved for future generations” (gov). Murtha has continued to support a large variety of legislature. Some of this includes: drinking-water and air quality, worker safety, clan streams, energy conservation, and alternative energy research and development. He also is known for taking a practical approach when it comes to environmental regulations. He constantly supports goals and standards that challenge industry. These challenges have to be attainable and not cause people to loose jobs if Murtha supports them.
Murtha works to restore educational funding. Murtha said, “I assure you that I'll keep working to restore education funding, but unfortunately, the tax cuts have greatly expanded the deficit, and with terrorism, war and the hurricane recovery, I'm no optimistic that we'll restore all the cuts made in critical education programs” (gov).
In 2004, Murtha announced a new program, “Adventure of the American Mind.” The program allows educators and librarians to incorporate the Library of congress digital collections into the school curriculum. This will help provide access to the incredible wealth of information and knowledge for various school projects. He has funding that goes to teach the educators how to use this system.
