Representative Kathy Castor

Dear friends,

The new year is off to a strong start with two new impactful infrastructure grants. First, the City of St. Petersburg was awarded a $1.4M Reconnecting Communities grant! The City and neighborhood leaders aim to breathe new life into South St. Pete by reconnecting neighborhoods to downtown that were divided by I-75 decades ago. Thanks to the community advocates who have been working to boost small businesses and foster safer connections, the City will begin to remediate I-75’s negative impacts right away. Read more about the project here.

Across the bay, HART was awarded a $23.4M RAISE Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to invest in clean busses and vehicles that are low-cost, low-maintenance and better for our health - and construct an modern facility that is more resilient to flooding and can serve a cleaner fleet. Read more about the project here.

PROTECTING AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE!

As President Biden leaves office, more Americans have health insurance than ever before.

When I ran for Congress in 2006, almost 20% of Floridians did not have health coverage and insurance companies could deny coverage for preexisting conditions. Today, thanks to the Affordable Care Act (and Medicare, VA, Tricare and Medicaid) the uninsured rate is at its lowest rate ever. It was announced today that a record-breaking 4.7M Floridians have affordable coverage under the Affordable Care Act (that Democrats passed in 2010). President-elect Trump’s Project 2025 takes aim at affordable coverage, and I want you to know that you can count on me to fight for affordable health coverage and your pocketbooks. That includes the major cost savings for seniors who rely on Medicare who now are enjoying lower prices for drug coverage and insulin.

URGING THE REOPENING OF TOWN 'N' COUNTRY AND RUSKIN POST OFFICES

Three months after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Town ‘N’ Country and Ruskin post offices remain closed due to hurricane damage.

Neighbors are frustrated and so am I as we rely on reliable post offices for prescriptions, business operations and other important services. So, I am urging USPS to repair and reopen the post offices ASAP.

Are you still experiencing postal issues after the Hurricanes?

YES

NO

I DON'T KNOW

HURRICANE HEROES

Stephanie Poynor and James Adair are my latest hurricane heroes for their selfless support of their neighbors before, during and after Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Both were integral to their neighborhood’s recovery by removing debris, trees, drywall, securing essential supplies for resident’s homes who flooded, and ensuring neighbors received critical FEMA information – their work did not go unnoticed and was greatly appreciated by their neighbors and my office. Thank you!

VOTES THIS WEEK

H.R. 28 - “GOP Child Predator Empowerment Act”: What happened to the GOP’s pledge to lower health care costs? The price of groceries? Instead, Republicans in Congress would subject girls as young as 4 to invasive personal questions about their bodies and private parts. The NCAA and state authorities exist to ensure sports are fair and safe. They are far better equipped to deal with this issue than politicians. I voted no.

H.R. 33 - United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief: This bill would strengthen the economic partnership between the U.S. and Taiwan by addressing double taxation of Taiwanese residents who have income from sources within the US. I voted yes.

H.R. 30 – Local domestic violence shelters advised me that this GOP bill would put domestic violence victims at greater risk. Plus 200 local and national organizations that serve victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse opposed the bill because it could end up punishing domestic violence victims – while giving a free pass to perpetrators. Instead, I would hope that Republicans would work Democrats to strengthen the Violence Against Women Act. As a longtime advocate for victims of domestic violence, I voted no.

CALLING ALL VIETNAM VETERANS!

The U.S. Congress authorized a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War to honor and highlight the service of members of the Armed Forces during the Vietnam War. I am proud to serve as a Commemorative Partner to thank and honor Vietnam Veterans and their families. If you are a Vietnam Veteran or are a family member of a Vietnam Veteran, register to be celebrated here.

Join my office for the celebratory ceremony of eligible Vietnam-era Veterans, who will receive a Service Lapel Pin on Thursday, January 30^th at 10 a.m. at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg Campus Nelson Poynter Memorial Library (140 Seventh Ave S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701).

119TH ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE LEADER ON ENERGY!

Thanks to my Energy and Commerce Democratic colleagues, I’ll be fighting to lower electric bills, boost American innovation, and reduce climate-warming pollution through clean energy top Democrat on Subcommittee on Energy this Congress! I know how important it is to my neighbors to protect their pocketbooks, our people and our planet – I am excited to get to work.

Additionally, I will be working to better privacy protections for kids online and increase consumer safety as I serve on the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing & Trade and the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. Stay tuned in my upcoming newsletters to keep track of our committee work.

MY OFFICE IS HERE TO HELP!

As you and your family settle into the New Year, know my office is here to help you cut through the red tape of federal agencies. If you are having issues with Social Security, Medicare, Disaster Assistance, Veterans Affairs, Immigration or need assistance with a passport renewal, contact my offices for help by calling (813) 871-2817 or (727) 369-0201.

Thanks and see you soon,

Kathy Castor