Dear friend,

House Democrats are fighting to put money back into your pockets and (after a lot of pressure) Governor DeSantis finally agreed to pass along $346 million in cost-saving energy efficiency rebates to Floridians from the Inflation Reduction Act. If you are in the market for a new ac, heat pump, appliance, or if you need to upgrade insulation and weatherize your home, savings are on the way.  We’ll keep an eye on any slow-walking by the state. Read more here.

Surprise surcharges and add on fees for tickets, hotel rooms and online shopping also are maddening. So, together with President Biden, I am standing up for consumers against price gouging and hidden fees, including annoying surprise fees in hotel and rental bookings. My bipartisan Hidden FEES Act passed the House 384-25 this week, so when you shop online and book a hotel or Airbnb, all fees will be required to be displayed in a transparent way so that you are not gouged and shocked by any expensive add ons.

The Energy and Commerce Committee passed my bipartisan SHINE for Autumn Act to help address the stillbirth crisis in America through better research and education.  According to the CDC, stillbirth affects 1 in 170 pregnancies, with over 21,000 babies born still each year, or 57 babies dying every day.

In the United States, the annual number of stillbirths far exceeds the number of deaths among children aged 0-14 years from accidents, preterm birth, SIDS, drownings, fire, and flu combined.  Long-standing disparities among racial and ethnic groups persist, with Black women more than twice as likely to experience stillbirth as White women. With nearly one out of every four stillbirths estimated to be preventable, we need real change that will lead to measurable improvements in outcomes for mothers and babies.

In the Environment subcommittee, we discussed the need to strengthen America’s critical minerals supply chain to boost our national security and economy, and counter China. Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Law investments are helping but we need to do more. Watch here. 

H.R. 8070 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 – Our military service members deserve a pay raise and high-quality affordable housing and child care, and House Democrats worked in a bipartisan way to include a 19.5% pay raise for junior enlisted troops and more. After the bipartisan bill received an almost unanimous vote out of the Armed Services Committee, extreme MAGA Republicans loaded up the bill with abortion bans, Confederate statues, and attacks on the rights of LGBT service members and their families.  Last year, we beat back these extreme measures to deliver for service members and you can count us to do that again.

H.Res. 1287  – The most unproductive Congress in modern American history wasted time on another MAGA political stunt to hold the Attorney General in contempt in an effort to deflect attention away from convicted felon Donald Trump. I voted “no”.

As you and your families pack your bags for your trips, my office is working hard to ensure you have the best summer!

Passports: Double-check before you plan your trip that all travelers in your party's passports have at least six months of validity remaining from the date of your entry or departure to or from the international destination. My office is here to help if you are experiencing passport delays or need an emergency passport. Click here for assistance. 

June marks the beginning of Hurricane Season! It is never too early to make your storm kit and have a plan for you, your loved ones and your pets. Check out these helpful tips to get your preparations started:

• Sign up for emergency alert texts: Click here for Hillsborough and here for Pinellas.
• Make a storm kit. June 1 through 14 and August 24 through September 6, Florida has a tax free holiday on storm essentials. Watch this video for a storm kit checklist.
• Know your evacuation zone! Click here for Hillsborough zones and here for Pinellas zones.

Senate Republicans, including Florida’s senators, voted to block access to fertility treatments (IVF) this week. IVF has been a godsend to families who have difficulty having children. And while I am glad that the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a federal court’s decision to block access to the medication abortion drug mifepristone, the Court did so on a technicality, so we can expect future attempts to block access to this vital FDA-approved drug. Women need access to this safe and effective drug without interference from politicians.

As always, you can call my office at (813) 871-2817 or (727) 369-0201.

I hope to see you soon!

Sincerely,

Kathy Castor

Member of Congress