Dear friend,

I hugged the families of the heroic police officers who lost their lives during the violent January 6th insurrection on the steps of the U.S. Capitol this morning. All freedom-loving Americans owe a debt to the officers who died and the more than 140 who were injured defending our democracy.

I honor and mourn the loss of the patriots who protected the Capitol at the cost of their lives. Their service to our country will never be forgotten. May we find unity, accountability, and good governance #ForThePeople and for the progress of our country.

Photos from today’s commemoration of the January 6^th attack can be viewed here.

This somber day - combined with the chaos in the House this week - is a reminder of the fragility of our democracy. For the first time in 100 years, the House of Representatives has been unable to organize for multiple days. The inability of House Republicans to govern is sad for Congress as an institution, sad for democracy, and sad for the American people. House Democrats are ready to get to work building on our successes of the last two years lowering costs, creating better-paying jobs, and supporting safer communities.

Most of the Republicans who wreaked havoc  this week explicitly denied the results of the 2020 election, said that the election had been stolen or rigged or that Trump was the rightful winner — even though Joe Biden earned 7 million more votes and 74 more electors. Fourteen of the 15 incumbents who voted against McCarthy were among the 139 House Republicans who on Jan 6 voted to overturn the 2020 Electoral College results.

Since the January 6 attack, House Democrats have focused on strengthening our democracy. We passed the bipartisan Electoral Count Reform Act into law to stop a similar attempt to overturn a presidential election, but more must be done. The American people overwhelmingly support our Democratic legislation to clean up elections and protect the right to vote: the For The People Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. We’ll keep working to defend our democracy and ensure all Americans can exercise their sacred right to vote.

My office is open for business to aid neighbors with veteran’s benefits, Medicare, Social Security and more despite the inability of House Republicans to organize the 118th Congress. This includes new parts of District 14 in St. Petersburg.

Last year, Team Castor returned $10M owed to constituents by Social Security, Medicare, and the IRS. Just this week, my team secured an IRS tax refund of $1,062 for a constituent who said they called the agency 50 times to no avail. We are proud to work and deliver for you! Please do not hesitate to call 813-871-2817 for help on a federal matter and check out the new District 14 boundaries here.

At the start of this week, I was happy to welcome the new members-elect of the Florida Delegation to the Capitol! I was happy to share my “swearing in” ticket with my Hillsborough neighbor, Representative-Elect Lee, so her family can witness her Oath of Office, just as my family has watched me in prior Congresses. Photos can be viewed here.

There is much to be done in the 118^th Congress. I look forward to continuing my work for the 14^th District of Florida and getting to work For the People.

Stay safe and have a great weekend! Know that my team is here to help at 813-871-2817.