U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) announced today that the Florida Institute of Oceanography (FIO), a research consortium in St. Petersburg, will be Florida’s representative for the Centers of Excellence Research Grants Program, designing the program and administering the fund for the state. FIO will establish competitive grants for Centers of Excellence focusing on science, technology, and monitoring related to Gulf restoration, according to a rule published today by the U.S. Department of Treasury written as part of implementing the RESTORE Act, which passed July 6, 2012 in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster that devastated the Gulf of Mexico. Read more »

Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor hosted Dr. Anne Schuchat, the top immunization specialist in the nation, who warned that while recent outbreaks of diseases have garnered international attention, we cannot forget about those that can actually be prevented, such as HPV, but still are causing thousands of deaths each year nationwide. A vaccine is available to boys and girls to prevent HPV and the cancers they may cause. Read more »

Female entrepreneurs with products that target busy travelers in a pinch at TIA are taking off and landing business around the country. Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL-14) toured the expanding airport retail and the women behind these businesses to highlight the $1.4 trillion impact that all women-owned businesses across the country have on the economy and the middle-class.… Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg) today released the following statement after House Republicans voted for legislation that does not responsibly address the problem of unaccompanied children apprehended at the border, and could result in the deportation of DREAMers. “Congressional Republicans voted tonight to eliminate sex trafficking protections for children and to… Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) released the following statement after the U.S. House passed a bill 225-201 to sue President Obama: Read more »

A new report shows the health reform law has helped to extend the life of the Medicare trust fund, in addition to improving Medicare overall. Read more »

Strategies to combat rising college costs and crushing college debt plaguing today’s students are imperative to building an economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy. Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) hailed the passage of bipartisan legislation to strengthen financial counseling to ensure families receive the information they need to better understand their college financing options and reduce the burden of student debt. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) sent this letter to the Florida Public Service Commission. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) announced today that she and 32 members of Congress have created the State Medicaid Expansion Caucus to raise local, state and national awareness of the adverse economic and health impacts caused by the 24 states – including Florida – that have refused to expand health services for working Americans under Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Read more »

In response to a three-judge panel in Washington that ruled 2-1 that insurance tax credits apply only in states that have set up their own marketplaces, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) said the following: “Floridians are at the mercy of the rigid ideology of Republican Gov. Rick Scott and legislators who refused to set up a Florida marketplace, expand health services to a million Floridians under Medicaid and even took away the insurance commissioner's ability to oversee insurance company rate increases. Hopefully, on appeal, the hundreds of thousands of our neighbors who finally have affordable health insurance will maintain access to their valuable tax credits.” Read more »