WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With Florida leading the country in the number of reported Zika virus cases, today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa Bay) criticized the Republican leadership in Congress for not only delaying support to fight the spread of the virus that causes severe birth defects, but also for falling short of the needed funding for CDC and NIH prevention and treatments. Read more »
Today, U.S. Representatives Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) and Kathy Castor (D-FL) introduced the Safe Medications for Moms and Babies Act, legislation that will increase safety for women who are pregnant and breastfeeding and must take medication. This bipartisan solution will identify major research gaps involving pregnant and lactating women who take prescription medication, and detail ways to promote safer medications for them to use. Read more »
Please view letter sent today by members of the Florida’s Congressional Delegation to Gov. Rick Scott regarding the State of Florida’s Department of Health (FDOH) data on new HIV infections in the state. Read more »
Today U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) was joined by local public health experts, Hillsborough County Mosquito Control and Hillsborough County Healthy Start to rally the community to prepare and fight the Zika virus. U.S. Rep. Castor emphasized, “fighting Zika starts at home" as all speakers urged the public to take action now to prepare for the virus known to cause birth defects. U.S. Rep. Castor also highlighted a study earlier this year that found that Florida and other Gulf coast states are some of the most vulnerable parts of the continental United States for year-round incursion by the Zika. The virus is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito which can be found in warm weather climates. Read more »
Scientific discoveries and inventions in America’s college campus labs are accelerating modern technological progress at an astounding rate. Look at the advancements in 3-D printing, environmentally-friendly manufacturing, genomics and more. Universities and non-profit research institutions are the bedrock for our nation’s innovative work and progress. In 2014 alone, nearly 6,500 U.S. Utility Patents were granted to academic inventors around the world, according to a report by the National Academy of Inventors and the Intellectual Property Owners Association. Read more »
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) today called for a federal review of the Florida Department of Health’s significant downward revision to its reported HIV cases for 2014. After much public discussion over the noteworthy increase in Florida of HIV infections, FDOH recently reduced the number of reported cases from 6,147 to 4,613. Read more »
Today on Match Day, an annual rite of passage when medical school graduates across the country learn where they have been matched for their graduate medical education (GME), U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor announced new legislation that would provide federal support to help train an additional 15,000 resident physicians while introducing accountability and transparency initiatives for institutions receiving Medicare funding for physician training. Training Tomorrow’s Doctors Today Act, which has broad-based support from numerous physician, hospital and other groups representing both primary and specialty care physicians, was introduced yesterday in the U.S. House of Representatives. Read more »
U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) and Renee Ellmers (R-NC-02) recently sent letters to House Leadership and leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce requesting their assistance in advancing the Accelerating the End of Breast Cancer Act, H.R.1197, to the House floor for a vote. Read more »
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) called for a congressional hearing with experts on the Zika virus as soon as possible in a letter to the chairs and ranking members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee and its Subcommittees on Health and Oversight and Investigations. U.S. Rep. Castor serves on both subcommittees. U.S. Rep. Castor is pressing for the most up-to-date information from public health experts on Zika's current and potential impact in the United States, especially in Gulf states like Florida, which has been designated as an area of year-round risk. Read more »
