Congressman Kanjorski: Biography

Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski was first elected to the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional District in 1984. He represents five counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania – most of Luzerne County, more than half of Lackawanna County, and all of Carbon, Columbia and Monroe counties.

Creating family-sustaining jobs in Northeastern Pennsylvania has always been Congressman Kanjorski’s top priority. Working closely with economic development organizations, he has helped to attract thousands of private sector jobs to the region with high quality companies such as Sallie Mae, Fairchild Semiconductor, and Schott Glass Technologies. He has also secured thousands of federal jobs by creating a permanent home for the Social Security Data Operations Center, which employs over one thousand people in Plains Township; helping to preserve the Tobyhanna Army Depot through two base closing commissions; and protecting the Wilkes-Barre Veterans Affairs Medical Center when threatened by department-wide facility closures.

As a volunteer following the 1972 flood caused by Tropical Storm Agnes, Paul Kanjorski employed his legal expertise to help thousands of flood victims in the Wyoming Valley put their lives back together. His experience convinced him of the need to protect the Wyoming Valley from future floods, and he successfully guided the completion of the Wyoming Valley Levee Raising Project. He has also led the effort to construct flood control projects in Bloomsburg, Olyphant, and Scranton.

Congressman Kanjorski believes that environmental restoration and preservation is essential for maintaining the high quality of life in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He founded the non-profit Earth Conservancy to acquire more than 16,000 acres of land owned by a bankrupt coal company. Fifteen years later, the organization has reclaimed more than 1000 acres, preserved as green/recreational space more than 10,000 acres, and donated more than 100 acres to municipalities and other local entities. At the request of Monroe County residents, Congressman Kanjorski enacted legislation to study 30,000 acres of land in Cherry Valley for a potential National Wildlife Refuge. Cherry Valley provides habitat to over 75 species of national or regional concern.

Nationally Congressman Kanjorski is recognized as a thoughtful and knowledgeable legislator who works in a bipartisan manner to enact moderate policies which strengthen the American economy. In 2003 the International Economic Development Council recognized Congressman Kanjorski’s outstanding career of work in economic development with its Federal Leadership in Economic Development Award. He was instrumental in reforming corporate governance laws, modernizing regulation of the financial services industry, and preserving credit unions.

Before his election to Congress, Congressman Kanjorski was a successful trial attorney in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Although active in public issues throughout his life, he has held no other elective office. He served in the Army during the early 1960s. He attended Temple University and the Dickinson School of Law. He and his wife, Nancy, have one daughter. They reside in Nanticoke, Pa.