Representative Kathy Castor

Dear friend,

I hope you’re healthy and staying safe. With the American Rescue Plan, help is here to crush COVID19, boost families and lift our economy. After checking on neighbors this weekend in Tampa regarding COVID-19 vaccinations, it is clear that many individuals in the Tampa Bay area need more information on convenient locations available.

There are many ways to get COVID-19 vaccines! The Tampa Greyhound FEMA site is administering doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Tampa Family Health Centers, Hillsborough County, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and others are holding events. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress and signed by President Biden, we are ramping up vaccines dramatically to help us return to normal as soon as possible. You can also contact your local pharmacy or primary care physician. I update the latest information on my website and I encourage you to share it with friends and family.

HISTORIC CHILD TAX CREDIT AND MORE:

FILE YOUR 2020 TAX RETURN!

With passage of the American Rescue Plan, an expanded child tax credit, earned income tax credit and other benefits are available and I urge you to file your taxes to receive them. Under the historic expansion of the child tax credit, Florida families could receive an additional $3,600 per child under the age of six and $3,000 per child from ages 6-17. We estimate that the transformational child tax credit will cut child poverty in half and benefit 3.8 million Florida children.

Even if you do not normally file a tax return, you should do so this year to ensure you are receiving federal assistance that is available to you. If you need help filing your taxes, United Way Suncoast is scheduling free appointments in the Tampa Bay area. Please find more information here in English and Spanish and share with your family and friends:

MY COMMITTEES

My Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a legislative hearing on Wednesday entitled, "An Epidemic within a Pandemic: Understanding Substance Use and Misuse in America." Far too many families continue to struggle with opioid addiction, and COVID19 has only exacerbated this public health crisis. We discussed a series of bills that will help save lives and tackle the opioid crisis.

My Select Committee on the Climate Crisis held a hearing on Thursday entitled “Making the Case for Climate Action: The Growing Risks and Costs of Inaction.” This hearing explored the changes we are seeing in climate, the efforts underway to study those changes, and the economic risks and escalating costs the climate crisis poses to communities, human health, and the American economy. It also explored the disparate impacts of the climate crisis on low-income communities and communities of color and how we can ensure environmental justice is a key component of infrastructure and climate legislation passed in the Congress.

Votes This Week

H.R. 7 – Paycheck Fairness Act; It is past time that women receive equal pay for equal work. I am proud to cosponsor this legislation that will close loopholes and strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 to secure justice for working women in Florida and across the country by providing effective remedies for women subject to inequitable pay practices. Passing the Paycheck Fairness Act is a critical step in unleashing the full power of not just women in our economy, but to reach the full economic potential of our country. Because when women succeed, we are all better for it!

H.R. 1195 – Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act; Workplace violence is a serious concern for health and social service workers in the United States, and this bipartisan legislation provides these essential workers the protection they deserve by directing the Secretary of Labor to issue an occupational safety and health standard that requires covered employers within the health care and social service industries to develop and implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan, and for other purposes.

UPDATE ON AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN

STIMULUS PAYMENTS

Survival checks provided by the American Rescue Plan have arrived in the bank accounts and mailboxes of over 156 million Americans, including our neighbors on Social Security and SSDI. Most of these payments have arrived electronically.

The latest round of payments that are being sent out this week are for veterans and their beneficiaries who receive Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefit payments and who don’t normally file a tax return. Most payments will be automatically deposited into banks accounts or loaded onto the Direct Express cards where veterans receive their benefits. Those waiting on paper checks or debit cards through the mail should expect to receive their payments over the next several days. In most cases, these payments are automatic and no action is necessary to receive them.

If you have not received your payment yet, you can use the “Get My Payment” tool from IRS.gov to check the status.

Stay safe and know that my team is here to provide information and assistance on stimulus payments, vaccine availability, and other issues. We are here to help you at 813-871-2917.

Sincerely,

Kathy Castor
Member of Congress