Representative Kathy Castor

Dear friend,

I hope this finds you safe and healthy. I will never forget the January 6 violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol during the approval of the electoral college votes for President. Police officers struggled for hours and individuals lost their lives as the former president egged on rioters and spread the “big lie."

Police officers and staff continue to grapple with the emotional and physical impacts of this attack. So I am gratified to see the House pass a bipartisan bill to establish a 9/11-style commission to get to the bottom of what happened, who was involved and how it was organized. Today, we will approve funds to better equip U.S. Capitol Police Officers and secure the Capitol building so that it’s safe for families and students to visit again soon.

VACCINE UPDATE

There has been no better time to get your Covid19 vaccination as school lets out and summer begins. The CDC has also authorized use of the Pfizer vaccine in Americans 12 and older, so make a plan and bring your family along with you!

The easy and free community vaccination site at the Tampa Greyhound Track in Sulphur Springs is set to close next Tuesday, May 25. This site offers second doses of the Pfizer vaccine as well as the one-shot Johnson and Johnson vaccination. You can visit from 7am to 7pm, seven days a week, until May 25.

There are plenty of other opportunities to get your vaccine in the Tampa Bay area – Tampa Family Health Centers, Hillsborough County, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and others are holding events weekly. You can also contact your local pharmacy or primary care physician for details on how to receive a vaccine at their offices.

You can always access the latest information on my website, and I encourage you to share it with friends and family.

HELP IS HERE FOR RESTAURANTS

Important for Tampa restaurants and eateries, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund through the Small Business Administration is now accepting applicants. Last week I held an informational webinar with local restaurant owners to assist our fabulous local restaurants and breweries.

MY COMMITTEES

This week, my Energy and Commerce Committee Consumer Protection Subcommittee entitled "Promises and Perils: The Potential of Automobile Technologies." Electric vehicles are an important component of America’s clean energy future, and we are working to ensure that our federal government is prioritizing good-paying jobs and manufacturing here at home. The American Jobs Plan, a historic infrastructure plan introduced by President Biden, will invest in vehicle electrification to boost domestic manufacturing, expand good-paying jobs and increase American competitiveness. These are the forward-looking policies that will help us move our nation and workforce forward.

Yesterday, my Energy Subcommittee heard from Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm on the Biden Administration’s goals to create jobs through clean energy projects, advance solutions for solving the climate crisis and create good-paying jobs for our neighbors in Tampa and across the nation.

The Select Committee on the Climate Crisis held a hearing entitled “Powering Up Clean Energy: Investments to Modernize and Expand the Electric Grid.” This hearing will explore the ways that upgrading and expanding the electric grid can create jobs, integrate higher levels of renewable energy, boost grid reliability, and protect public health.

VOTES THIS WEEK

H.R. 2695 – Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act: This bill that I cosponsor directly confronts the persistent culture of sexual harassment in STEM. Harassment and discrimination rob talented individuals of meaningful careers and deprive our country of their potential. This legislation will help make it easier for women and other underrepresented groups to join and thrive in these critical industries.

H.R. 707 – Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act: This bipartisan legislation that I cosponsor will honor two top-secret WWII United States Army units that specialized in tactical deceptions with the Congressional Gold Medal, Congress's highest expression of national appreciation. This is a long overdue recognition for their service to our nation.

S. 937 – COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act: Violence against our Asian neighbors has skyrocketed during the Covid19 pandemic, and this vital bill will speed up and strengthen our response to hate crimes, including requiring the designation of an official at the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct an expedited review of all COVID-related hate crimes. It also includes important provisions to improve the reporting of hate crimes, authorize grants to states to establish and run hate crime hotlines, support law enforcement agencies with training officers on how to identify hate crimes and help state and local governments develop a system for collecting hate crime data.

H.Res. 275 – Condemning the horrific shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16, 2021, and reaffirming the House of Representative's commitment to combating hate, bigotry, and violence against the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community: I am heartbroken by the loss of life in Atlanta this year, and I stand with my colleagues and Tampa neighbors against this violence and discrimination. Hatred and bigotry have no place in our nation and must be unequivocally denounced.

H.R. 1629 – the Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act will close a loophole that blocks pharmaceutical competition and prevents innovative treatments for opioid use disorder from coming to market. Passage of this bill will create more treatment options for patients and providers, boost competition in the marketplace and drive down the cost of new medicines.

H.R. 3233 – National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act: This bipartisan 9/11 style commission: Today, the House passed legislation to establish an independent, bipartisan 9/11-type commission to examine and report upon the facts, causes and security relating to the terrorist mob attack.

H.R. 3237 – Emergency Security Supplemental to Respond to January 6th Appropriations Act, 2021: This authorizes an emergency security supplemental for $1.9 billion in funding to respond to the January 6 attack and to protect the U.S. Capitol Complex and all who work and serve within it. This supplemental is informed by the recommendations of the Task Force Security Review led by Lieutenant General (Retired) Russel L. Honoré and the Inspector General's reports to the Appropriations Committee and the Committee on House Administration.

Stay safe, and please know that my office is here if you need any assistance at 813-871-2817.

Sincerely,

Kathy Castor
Member of Congress