U.S. Congresswoman Kathy Castor

Happy New Year! We have a lot of important work ahead in 2020 ... to lower drug costs, tackle the climate crisis and raise wages … and improve the lives of all of our Tampa neighbors!

The word on the Hill this week is “de-escalation”. Democrats and Republicans received a classified briefing on Iran yesterday, and the House will debate a War Powers Resolution tomorrow. While Iran’s General Soleimani courted his fate with his decades of malign and violent activity, and I do not mourn his death, his killing was a provocative act that puts America at greater risk. Although the Constitution vests Congress with the sole power to declare war, President Trump took this action without consulting Congress and endangered our servicemembers, diplomats and others through his serious escalation. Since then, it’s become clear that he does not have a coherent strategy to keep the American people safe, achieve de-escalation with Iran and ensure stability in the region. Members of Congress have serious, urgent concerns about the decision to engage in hostilities against Iran and about the lack of strategy moving forward. The War Powers Resolution will limit the President’s military actions regarding Iran. The House also may soon consider additional legislation to keep America safe, including a resolution to repeal the 2002 Iraq Authorization for Use of Military Force and legislation to prohibit funding for military action against Iran not authorized by Congress.

Friends, family and all our fellow Americans in Puerto Rico are enduring yet another natural disaster. We must ensure that all necessary resources are made available – with alacrity - to our fellow Americans as they recover and rebuild. I am continuing to closely monitor new developments on the Island and the speed with which resources are brought to help.

My Committee

ENERGY & COMMERCE UPDATE

The Energy and Commerce Committee is starting the year with two important hearings. My Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce has a hearing entitled “Americans at Risk: Manipulation and Deception in the Digital Age.” Ensuring and expanding protections for our children on the internet remains a top priority of mine and I will delve into this issue at the hearing. My Subcommittee on Health’s hearing "Legislation to Improve Americans’ Health Care Coverage and Outcomes" will focus on bills that will improve health outcomes like Healthy Start. Florida and our community in particular benefit greatly from Healthy Start, which provides grants to state and local organizations to reduce infant mortality, reduce disparities in health outcomes for infants, and improve perinatal outcomes for women and their newborn babies. We must fully fund this initiative so that communities around the country, like Tampa, can continue to serve the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors.

Vote This Week

H.R. 535 - PFAS Action Act of 2019: This legislation would require the Environmental Protection Agency to list PFAS chemicals as hazardous substances under the Superfund program and direct federal resources to clean up contaminated sites and limit the spread of these substances. PFAS, or “forever chemicals” are a major threat to human health and our environment. It is critical to establish one national standard so that all impacted are equipped with the resources necessary to clean up these sites and prevent the painful impacts on health and the quality of life of so many communities, including our military.

Exciting news: Yesterday, the new USF Morsani College of Medicine opened with 1,800 students, faculty, and staff in downtown Tampa. USF and USFHealth are the linchpins in Tampa Bay’s evolution into a national hub of health care innovation! USFHealth’s aggressive drive and top talent have helped achieve the fastest growth of federally-sponsored research in the nation. Our nation will be healthier thanks to the research done and students trained at USF’s new college- Go Bulls!