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 »
Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) urged House Speaker Rep. Paul Ryan and House Energy & Commerce Committee Chair Rep. Fred Upton to disband the Select Panel to Attack Women’s Health, which targets Planned Parenthood without justification. Read more »
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) released the following statement regarding H.R. 4038. Please also see U.S. Rep. Castor’s op-ed, “To combat Islamic State, strengthen Special Forces and insist on more help from other nations,” published today. Read more »
Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor sent a letter to Sunil Gulati, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, urging the Federation to support and advocate for FIFA reform that places a stronger emphasis on girls’ and women’s soccer across the globe. Rep. Castor also called for greater gender balance in the governance of FIFA. Rep. Castor states in her letter: “[a]s Co-Chair of… Read more »
Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor announced a $600,000 U.S. Department of Justice grant to Gulfcoast Legal Services in Pinellas County to bolster assistance to human trafficking victims in the Tampa Bay area. Read more »
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) today voted for the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, a budget agreement that breaks the gridlock that has gripped Congress and averts a government default. Read more »
Like the Select Committee on Benghazi, which has squandered a total of more than $4.5 million since it was established 72 weeks ago, House Republicans are once again abusing power and taxpayer money on another witch-hunt. This time their target is Planned Parenthood and women’s health care. A resolution to create this select committee is under consideration today. Read more »
With 151 House Republicans who voted to shut down the government yesterday and opposed the short-term budget, or Continuing Resolution, uncertainty and unease are building across America’s armed services as a new deadline of December 11 looms over vital national security funding. Republicans in Congress also have ignored calls from Defense Secretary Ash Carter and military leaders on the troubling direction of the Republican defense bill. Secretary Carter is recommending a veto of the typically bipartisan national defense bill over Republican budget gimmicks that would weaken America’s national security. Such uncertainty directly impacts all military services and missions, including the vital operations of U.S. Central Command and Special Operations Command that are headquartered at MacDill AFB in Tampa, Fla. Read more »
