U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Castor will continue her service in the 113^th Congress on two of the most influential committees in the U.S. House: the Energy and Commerce Committee as well as the Budget Committee. The important jurisdiction of Energy and Commerce and Budget Committees allows Castor to focus on issues vital to Tampa Bay area families, including health care, jobs, travel and tourism.

Castor will serve on three Energy and Commerce subcommittees: Health, Energy, and Oversight and Investigations.   A seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee is important to Florida, particularly the highly sought-after Health Subcommittee, which has oversight of Medicare, Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act, NIH, the National Cancer Institute, CDC and Food and Drug Administration. 

“I look forward to ensuring that the Affordable Care Act benefits Florida families and small businesses,” said Castor who has been an outspoken critic of Governor Rick Scott’s opposition to the health care law. “I also will be a champion for Medicare, fend off voucher proposals and work to strengthen Medicare for future generations.”

Castor also will work to protect Florida’s vital tourism industry. Tourism is the backbone of Florida’s economy.

Castor’s seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee allowed her to hold BP accountable for the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, which impacted many Florida small businesses and the Gulf ecosystem.  Castor has worked to protect Florida’s economy and beaches from offshore drilling, knowing that Florida’s tourism industry and related jobs could be devastated by drilling near Florida’s West Coast. Castor, the co-founder of the Gulf Coast Caucus, will continue working to ensure drilling stays far from Florida’s West Coast so our jobs, tourism economy and environment are preserved.

On the Budget Committee, Castor will work on cutting our nation’s deficit. Castor will have a role in identifying the priorities of our nation, while focusing on job creation and our local economy. From this position, Castor will fight to preserve Social Security and tax cuts for the middle class. She will work in a balanced way to create economic growth and solve our debt challenges – the balance needed to keep Tampa Bay’s local economic recovery going.

“A balanced plan allows us to invest in America and Tampa Bay’s infrastructure, education and research centers,” Castor said. “Such a path would keep our local Tampa Bay area economy strong and create jobs in our community.”

For the first six months of the 112^th Congress, Castor served on the House Armed Services and Budget Committees. In June 2011, Castor was reassigned to fill an open seat on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, and continued serving on the Budget Committee throughout the 112th session.

In the 111^th Congress, Castor served on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, where she worked on health care reform, consumer protection issues and telecommunications priorities. She also was a member of the House Ethics Committee.

In the 110^th Congress, Castor served on the Rules Committee, a rare but prestigious committee assignment for a freshman. The committee has jurisdiction over the rules and order of business in the House.

Castor also served three terms on the Democratic House Steering and Policy Committee, which assigns fellow party members to other House committees and considers policy direction for the House Democratic Caucus.