“With today's news about hundreds of thousands more Americans losing their jobs, we must redouble our efforts to pass the economic recovery package by President’s Day,” Congresswoman Kathy Castor said. “We must do everything we can to put people back to work as quickly as possible. Parents must be able to afford food for their children and health care for their families.” Read more »

In the 1990s, Florida Education Commissioner Betty Castor worked with then-Gov. Lawton Chiles on developing a health insurance program for Florida’s uninsured children. Florida Kidcare became the model for the national State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) which was enacted on the national level in 1997. Betty’s daughter, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, later took up the mantle and became a leading Florida advocate for families’ access to affordable health care under SCHIP. Rep. Castor was invited by President Obama to the White House to join him today as he signs the children’s health care expansion bill into law. Read more »

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor has written a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, outlining her recommendations to combat the housing crisis. Castor has held three foreclosure assistance workshops and has heard from more than 1,000 families about how the economic crisis is affecting them. Based on those conversations, Castor is urging more direct help to homeowners. Read more »

$5.8 billion dollars is how much money the federal government could pump into Florida's schools. But as it stands now our schools chunk could be cut by more than half. "The state legislature is now providing less money per pupil than they have over the past years. That's going to hurt us when it comes to the federal recovery plan,” says Representative Kathy Castor, who voted for the bill. She says for state's to qualify for all the money, they must be funding schools today at the same levels they were in 2005 and 2006. Right now Florida is not. Read more »

Modernizing schools, improving roads, and expanding healthcare; it’s all included in the 819 billion dollar stimulus bill passed by the House, now debated by the Senate. Read more »

In the midst of the most serious economic downturn since the Great Depression, Congresswoman Kathy Castor voted to pass the $825 billion American Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act one week after President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address to the nation and call for urgent action. The Recovery Plan creates and preserves much-needed jobs through infrastructure improvements, new energy technology, and health care and education initiatives. Read more »

Congresswoman Kathy Castor announced today that the city of Tampa will receive a nearly $4 million grant to hire more firefighters. “Homeland security is really hometown security,” Castor said. “We count on our first responders to keep us safe”. Read more »

Congresswoman Kathy Castor announced today that the economic recovery plan will direct at least $4.3 billion in health care investments to Florida. Castor is a member of the Energy & Commerce Committee which is marking up the economic recovery plan today. The $4.3 billion investment comes from an increased federal match for Medicaid which is one of the largest boosts in the country. Castor has been pushing for this increase in health care investments since last year. Read more »

Congresswoman Kathy Castor voted today to establish strict and extensive new accountability measures on the release of any new economic recovery funds. The bill also provides direct help to homeowners and communities. The first TARP bill’s lack of these provisions was among the reasons Castor voted against it twice in September. A Castor amendment enacts a holiday on foreclosures. Also, working with Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, she secured language in the bill to improve outreach to homeowners. The bill contains guidelines on executive compensation and increased oversight. Read more »

"President Barack Obama’s inauguration renews the promise of a more perfect America. Today we turn a page of American history and start a new chapter – a chapter full of hope, engagement, and shared responsibility." Read more »