Representative Kathy Castor

Dear friend,

We ❤️ our top-ranked Tampa International Airport, and a major improvement is on its way thanks to President Biden and the new Infrastructure law: a new Air Traffic Control Tower is included in President Biden’s FY24 budget. The Tampa tower is one of the oldest in the nation. A modern tower will help ensure that air traffic controllers can stay focused and do their job safely - and all travelers enjoying our ‘best in the world’ airport can get where they’re going without issue.

HERE TO HELP YOU

Thank you to my Westchase and St. Petersburg neighbors for sharing what is important to them at my one-on-one sessions this week. I enjoyed hearing what is on your mind and answering questions so that I can better serve you at home and in Washington.

My office is here to help you cut through the red tape of federal agencies – you can call 813-871-2817 or 727-369-0201 for assistance from my casework team.

If you would like to stay updated with new federal grants coming to our community, sign up here for our monthly email updates.

If you missed the one-on-ones this past week, don't worry – I hold telephone town halls regularly and have a newsletter where you can stay up to date with my work and voice your opinions. Sign up here.

TIKTOK CEO QUESTIONED BY CONGRESS

On Thursday, I grilled TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on the platform’s harmful design and predatory personal data gathering, especially for children. TikTok could be designed to minimize the harm to kids, but a decision was made to aggressively addict kids in the name of profits, and it's our responsibility as Members of Congress to act swiftly to address this and adopt a privacy law that protects us all. Watch our exchange here.

Do you support a TikTok ban?

Yes

No

I don't know

SECOND CHINA COMMITTEE HEARING

The genocide and atrocities to the Uyghurs, a Turkic ethnic minority, at the hands of the CCP was the focus of the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The ongoing tragedy may be the largest incarceration of an ethnoreligious minority since the Holocaust. The courageous testimony shared last night shines a light on the horrors being committed, and our responsibility to pass legislation addressing the CCP’s cruelty and ensure we do not profit from forced labor.

GOP’S VOTE SCHEDULE: PUTTING POLITICS OVER PARENTS

The House Republican Leadership’s misguided priorities were on full display this week. Republicans continue to waste time and money on circus-style hearings, deeply unserious investigations, and divisive, unnecessary legislation. Instead of delivering support and resources for our students and schools, GOP politicians demean students and parents and side with extremists.

I believe every student deserves a safe place to learn and grow, and am focused on improving public education, making our schools safer, and addressing learning loss due to the pandemic.

Democrats are putting People Over Politics every day to lower costs, lift all students and meet the real needs of the American people. H.R. 5 is part of a harmful, nationwide extreme MAGA Republican march toward censorship and book bans, which will deprive our students of an accurate and fact-based education. I voted NO.

PLAN AHEAD AND

RENEW YOUR PASSPORT!

As you plan your travel, don’t forget to renew your passport! It can take a few months once you apply, so get it done now.

As always, my office is here to help by calling (727) 369-0201 or (813) 871-2817 to receive assistance with casework or other concerns.

Sincerely,

Kathy Castor
Member of Congress