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Climate Crisis

Congress must protect the nation’s coastal communities from threats posed by offshore drilling for oil and gas

| Posted in Opinion Pieces

Offshore drilling has no place in our oceans today. This week, Congress has an opportunity to protect our coastal beaches and communities from being subjected to a lifetime of dangerous offshore drilling. The communities we represent and others like them across the country are standing up to the Administration’s plans to open nearly all federal…

U.S. Rep. Castor: Legislation to Ban Oil Drilling Off the Coast of Florida Passes Committee, Headed to House Floor

| Posted in Press Release

Legislation to ban oil drilling off the coast of Florida passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee this week and is now headed to the House floor. H.R. 205, the Protecting and Securing Florida's Coastline Act sponsored by U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor (D-Tampa, Fla.) and Francis Rooney (R-Naples, Fla.), is now headed to the House floor thanks to their bipartisan leadership to unite the Florida congressional delegation – Democrats and Republicans – to protect Florida’s coasts from oil and gas development. Earlier this year, the entire bipartisan Florida congressional delegation demanded that the Department of the Interior take formal action to prohibit drilling off Florida’s coast. And, the Florida congressional delegation prevailed again last night when the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan appropriations amendment to block oil and gas pre-leasing, leasing and related activities in the outer continental shelf planning areas around Florida.

U.S. Rep. Castor Celebrates Federal Grants to Lift Up University Area Families, Students & Businesses

| Posted in Press Release

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) announced today two federal grants awarded to the University area, continuing her work to lift up the families, students and businesses who live and work in this growing area of innovation. These grants, awarded to University Area Community Development Corporation Inc. ($300,000) and the University of South Florida ($7.5 million), will bolster the region’s economy and continue investment in research and innovation burgeoning from the USF area.

Congresswoman Kathy Castor Delivers Weekly Democratic Address

| Posted in Press Release

Congresswoman Kathy Castor of Florida, Chair of the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, delivered the Weekly Democratic Address. In this week’s address, the Congresswoman highlighted the passage of H. R. 9, the Climate Action Now Act, which takes a bold first step to protect our planet by keeping us in the Paris Climate Agreement and laying the foundation for further innovative action.

Administration Lists Gulf of Mexico Whale as Endangered After Lawsuit

| Posted in Press Release

Good news! Following a push championed by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14) that included a bipartisan letter she led from U.S. Representatives in Florida, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced that it would list the Gulf of Mexico Bryde’s whale as endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Castor Moves the Climate Action Now Act Through the Energy and Commerce Committee as She Welcomes Young Leaders to First Hearing of Climate Crisis Committee

| Posted in Press Release

The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced H.R 9 today, the Climate Action Now Act, a bill from U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor (FL14), that would prevent President Trump from withdrawing the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement and also require the Trump administration to report on U.S. progress toward meeting its commitments under the agreement.