WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor expressed concerns regarding the merger of Charter, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks, and urged the Federal Communications Commission to conduct a robust public interest review. Castor emphasized the importance of maintaining a high-level of customer service for cable and broadband service in the Tampa Bay region, supporting our local, diverse workforce, and protecting local programming and local philanthropic and educational initiatives, such as Bright House Pitch 6, a Shark Tank style competition to help startups expand and create jobs, held just this past weekend. Read more »

Following the landmark ruling today on America's clean energy future by the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor filed a bipartisan jobs and energy bill to spur investment and research in widespread distributed energy technology, such as rooftop solar. Often the cheapest, most reliable and efficient energy source, distributed energy creates electricity at or near the customer, as opposed to centralized generation at large power plants that often requires electricity to be transmitted long distances to consumers. Combined with incentives to reduce demand for electricity that were affirmed today by the U.S. Supreme Court, America must chart a modern course for powering our communities that includes localized sources. Read more »

MacDill Air Force Base is on a short list of bases to be considered for the next base selection round of next generation of air refueling tankers, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) announced today. If selected, MacDill could become home to 36 new KC-46 tankers in the spring of 2020. A final basing decision could come as early as the end of 2016. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) released the statement below following tonight’s State of the Union address by President Obama: Read more »

Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) demanded that the VA implement drastic improvements to better serve veterans. A recent Inspector General report and other reports have pointed out failures that continue to persist at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Read more »

Congress today came together to pass an important omnibus appropriations bill that funds medical research, education and clean energy initiatives that will boost jobs across the Tampa Bay area and America. Democrats successfully beat back scores of harmful Republican policy ‘riders’ on Planned Parenthood, Cuba, environmental protection and other topics. Read more »

On the eve of the one-year anniversary of President Obama’s historic announcement to re-establish U.S./Cuba diplomatic relations, today U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14-Tampa Bay) announced that she will help breathe life into a bipartisan task force to press for congressional action that will build on the progress. Read more »

The long-overdue, bipartisan education reform bill, Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), received final passage today in Congress and is now headed to President Obama’s desk for signature. Read more »

After numerous stopgap measures used over the past several years to merely keep transportation funding afloat, a bipartisan agreement for the long-stalled transportation and infrastructure bill passed the House and Senate yesterday and is on its way to the President to be signed into law. The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act will invest $281 billion in local communities across the country over the next five years, boosting Florida’s share of the Federal Highway Funding by more than $890 million. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) applauded yesterday’s passage of the bipartisan education reform bill in the U.S. House of Representative yesterday and encouraged Pinellas and Hillsborough School Districts to renew their focus on the achievement gap. The Every Student Succeeds Act replaces No Child Left Behind, which was overdue for reauthorization and reform. Democrats fought off radical cuts proposed by the GOP that would have cut $437 million from Florida public schools over the coming years. Read more »