Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) highlighted significant progress for Head Start students and parents in Pinellas County at a visit to the Connie Momarro Head Start Center in St. Petersburg. The bipartisan budget agreement recently passed by Congress and signed by President Obama restores funding for Head Start students across the country, and includes an increase of $1 billion over the sequester level and $612 million over the 2013 enacted level. The progress is especially significant for Pinellas County Head Start that has faced numerous challenges over the past few years. Read more »

Today, U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) announced her support for the bipartisan omnibus appropriations bill and highlighted the restoration of funding for Head Start students which had been severely hurt by sequester cuts. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) announced today a $1 million grant for the Tampa Bay Academy of Hope. The grant will fund the Academy’s NOW (No Offender Without a Second Chance) initiative that offers support services, training and skills development to help participants ages 16-24 obtain employment. Read more »

If Congress does not act by Monday, the rate on federally subsidized Stafford loans will double from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. Read more »

La Congresista Demócrata de Tampa, Kathy Castor, denuncio la enmienda anti-migratoria aprobado ayer por los Republicanos en la Cámara de Representantes, la cual deportara a los estudiantes llamados DREAMers. El voto es un ataque directo a la Acción Diferida para los Llegados en la Infancia, una iniciativa para proteger cientos de miles de inmigrantes jóvenes de ser deportados si fueron traídos por sus padres a los Estados Unidos sin permiso cuando eran niños, pero han cumplido con sus deberes y las leyes. Read more »

.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) announced today that the proposed student loan bill to be considered by Congress this week to address the July 1 interest rate hike poses a significant risk to students and families. Read more »

La Congresista Kathy Castor anuncio hoy que el proyecto de ley que el Congreso tomará bajo consideración esta semana sobre el aumento de intereses para préstamos escolares es un peligro para estudiantes y sus familias. Read more »

In her ongoing effort to highlight the harm caused by job losses and across-the-board federal budget cuts to important federally-funded initiatives, such as Head Start, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa/St. Petersburg, FL) discussed the drastic sequester reductions today on Hardball with Chris Matthews. Last week, Rep. Castor and several Head Start parents held a press conference to bring attention to a $1.4 million cut to Hillsborough County Head Start. Rep. Castor explained that 70,000 Head Start 3-year-old and 4-year-old students across America would likely be cut from Head Start preschool because Republicans refuse to replace the sequester. Below is a link to the entire video clip and a transcript of the interview. Read more »