Representative Kathy Castor

Dear friend,

Tampa Family Health Centers, Tampa General Hospital, AdventHealth, Tampa Bay Wave and the Florida High Tech Corridor all received impactful federal grants this week for innovative initiatives in health care and technology. I love standing up for our hometown and working to deliver for our neighbors.

That’s what the Build Back Better Act is all about too – creating good paying jobs, tax cuts for small business owners and lower costs for hard-working families. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and I led a Build Back Better press conference with members from across the country on the urgency of clean energy infrastructure and climate action. We are going to level the playing field and ensure that polluters pay for harm to the air we breathe and water that we drink. We must act with urgency to avoid the worsening and costly impacts of the climate crisis.

I am disappointed that Republicans rejected a House-approved bill to keep the government open and working and provide a lifeline to those suffering from recent natural disasters. President Trump and the Republicans spent 7,800,000,000,000 TRILLION DOLLARS during his one term. Now they are trying to “dine and dash” on the American people. The GOP Members of Congress are irresponsible in their willingness to risk the full faith and credit of the United States and damage our economy and bank accounts.

The House is poised to consider the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act this week, which makes new federal investments in our roads and bridges, water infrastructure, climate resiliency, internet access and more. Projects like replacing the Tampa International Airport air traffic control tower and repairing local infrastructure remain my top priority as we continue to craft historic investments for our nation’s infrastructure.

LATEST COVID19 RESOURCES

In case you missed it: the FDA recently announced the approval of Covid19 vaccination booster shots for individuals 65 years of age and older, and individuals 18 through 64 years of age at high risk of severe Covid19. The vaccine is safe, effective and greatly reduces risk of hospitalization. In the Tampa Bay Area, it’s easier than ever to find convenient locations to get your vaccine, and you can visit www.vaccines.gov to find the site closest to you.

Due to an increased demand for Covid19 testing among our neighbors, free sites have now reopened to the public.

The following Covid19 testing sites are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.:

Cordelia B Hunt Center at Al Lopez Park (4602 N Himes Ave, Tampa, FL 33614)
- Pre-register: https://mdc.nomihealth.com/signup/fl/COT
Al Barnes Park (3101 E 21^st Ave Parking Lot)
- Pre-register: https://www.impacthealth.com/cityoftampa/
Palm River Park Community Center (725 S. 58^th St., Tampa, FL 33619)
Code Enforcement Complex (1101 E. 139^th Ave., Tampa, FL 33613)

Good news: I announced a $1.7M award for Tampa Family Health Centers through the American Rescue Plan. These funds will help with Covid19-related capital needs, constructing new facilities, renovating and expanding existing facilities to enhance response to pandemics, and purchasing new state-of-the-art equipment, including telehealth technology, mobile medical vans, and freezers to store vaccines. This American Rescue Plan award will allow them to continue to expand their top-of-the-line health services across the Tampa Bay community, including a new center for pediatrics north of Carrollwood in Lutz.

MY COMMITTEE

Tomorrow my Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce will hold a hearing entitled, "A Level Playing Field: College Athletes' Rights to Their Name, Image, and Likeness."

VOTES THIS WEEK

H.R. 3110 – PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act: The PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act would strengthen the Break Time for Nursing Mothers law (2010) by expanding workplace protections for lactating workers, clarifying employers' obligations under the law, and ensuring breastfeeding mothers have access to appropriate remedies.

H.R. 3992 – POJA Act of 2021: The Protect Older Job Applicants Act (POJA) helps protect older job applicants against age discrimination. This follows up on our work earlier this year when Republicans and Democrats came together to pass the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act, which would restore a reasonable burden of proof for older workers who allege age discrimination under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

H.R. 2119 – Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2021: This bipartisan bill will reauthorize and expand funding for programs focused on protecting survivors and preventing family and domestic violence, and is the only federal funding source under the Department of Health and Human Services dedicated to providing domestic violence prevention services. This is a critical measure to protect our neighbors, especially as we have seen domestic violence cases rise during the Covid19 pandemic.

H.R. 3684 - Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: This bipartisan bill includes around $550 billion in new federal investment in America’s infrastructure to grow the economy, enhance our competitiveness, create good jobs, and make our economy more sustainable, resilient, and just.

NATIONAL VOTER REGISTRATION DAY

September 28, 2021 is National Voter Registration Day, and I led a bipartisan group of 37 colleagues in introducing a resolution recognizing Congress’ shared commitment to our nation’s bedrock democratic values. Public participation in American elections ensures that our nation’s grand experiment can continue, and I encourage all of our neighbors, here in Tampa and across the nation, to take time today to register to vote today and encourage friends and family members to do the same.

Click here to register to vote or update your information.

Stay safe and know my office is always here to help at 813-871-2817.

Sincerely,

Kathy Castor
Member of Congress