Apr. 13—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — New fire stations for the Jackson Township, Spangler and Hope fire companies; a new Johnstown police and fire headquarters; and continued support for airport projects are all on U.S. Rep. John Joyce's agenda, he told community leaders on Thursday.

The two-term congressman opened his remarks at John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport in Richland Township by announcing his shortlist for allocations from the Community Project Fund that allows congressional representatives to provide funding for projects in their districts.

Joyce, R-Blair, said he is proud to nominate projects through the fund.

"The Community Project Fund brings resources home to the district," he said.

Energy, health care and aviation dominated Joyce's remarks at Thursday's breakfast, sponsored by the Cambria Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Joyce sat with Rosalie Danchanko, executive director of Johnstown's Highlands Health free medical clinic, during the breakfast. He announced that he and three other representatives this week introduced legislation to reauthorize funding for community health centers, including Highlands Health.

"In the 13th District, almost a quarter-million people — almost a third of the people in the district — go to community health centers," he said, giving one example — the only pediatricians in Franklin County are employed by a community health center, he said.

The proposed Strengthening Community Care Act would fund the centers for five years and also support the National Health Service Corp. The bill is also sponsored by Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Delaware; Elise Stefanik, R-New York; and Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas.

Continuing on the topic of education, Joyce recalled how a meeting with former Conemaugh Health System Market President Bill Caldwell led to an initiative to provide more physicians in the district.

"He talked to me about how there is a deficit of individuals from our own communities who come back to the communities to study to do their residencies and to, ultimately, treat us," Joyce said. "We initiated the homegrown health care initiative."

The program, which receives no federal funding, allows medical students in their last two years of study to do all their rotations at their home community hospitals. Now in its third year, the program has helped 84 medical students get a taste of practicing near their homes, with free housing supplied by Conemaugh and other participating hospitals.

A similar program has been introduced at James E. Van Zandt Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Altoona, where a former maintenance building has been converted to what Joyce described as luxury apartments.

"This has to be a model nationwide," Joyce said.

On the energy front, Joyce said bipartisan cooperation continues in Washington, despite appearances to the contrary. He cited the recent passage of House Resolution 1, which he said will reform permitting and leasing regulations to encourage more domestic energy development.

"It will allow us to unleash American energy to return not just to energy independence, but to return to energy dominance so we can supply our friends and our allies with their needed energy," Joyce said.

Although four Democrats supported the bill, others have criticized the legislation as Republicans' pushback against President Joe Biden's anti-climate change agenda.

"Biden has vowed to veto the bill, known as the Lower Energy Costs Act. But elements of the bill, aimed at streamlining permitting rules for energy projects, could serve as the starting point for negotiations on that narrower issue," Politico reported.

Recognizing the location of Thursday's event, Joyce voiced his support for recent initiatives at the airport, including the upcoming Aerium Summit, scheduled from May 30 through June 1 at several airport facilities. The timing coincides with the Showcase for Commerce defense industry expo's May 31-June 2 agenda, and several joint events are planned.

The summit will bring high school, middle school and college educators together to hear about aviation training and employment opportunities through the Johnstown airport. Airport fixed-base operator Nulton Aviation Services, the airport authority, St. Francis University and the Department of Education are partnering to develop more aviation programs and to attract high schools and more colleges to join the effort.

Joyce said the network, led by Nulton Aviation founder Larry Nulton, has the potential to bring more jobs, tourism and educational opportunities to the region.

"I'm so impressed Dr. Nulton and his team at the Johnstown airport have picked up that mantle and continued to bring that across the finish line," he said. "Nothing could be more important to advance that transportation right here in Cambria County. This is a chance to show students in middle school through high school that the sky truly is the limit."

The airport's proposed Community Project Fund grant, along with the volunteer fire companies' and City of Johnstown's grants, were just announced and still have to go through the fund's vetting process, Joyce said.

The Jackson Township project has already received $2.3 million from the state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. An additional $1.5 million proposed by Joyce will bring the project closer to meeting the estimated cost of $4.5 million to $5 million, fire company President Stephen Yarina said Thursday.

Built in 1944, the Jackson Township fire station has been expanded four times, with the most recent work in the 1990s, but the size of equipment has outgrown the space and upgrades are needed, Yarina said.

"If you come by the station, three pieces of our equipment are sitting outside," he said.

Johnstown City Manager Ethan Imhoff announced in March that the city is early in the planning stages for a new facility to combine police and fire department operations. He estimated the cost at $6 million to $8 million.

"Council allocated the $2.5 million of ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding in the (20)23 budget to begin moving along with this," Imhoff said at the State of the City event.

Joyce's proposal would add another $2.8 million to the project. Emergency responders are vital to local communities, Joyce said.

"We want to make sure we are equipping them with the resources to have the best equipment to protect us," he said.