Representative Kathy Castor

Dear friend,

I hope you are staying safe and healthy.

Like you, I am deeply saddened by the passing of my dear friend and colleague Congressman John Lewis. John loved America. He devoted his life to justice and freedom in America, and encouraged us to live out our highest ideals, achieve racial equality and guarantee the right to vote for all. He will lie in state in the U.S Capitol Rotunda next week, and I will be there to represent you in paying your respects to him. To truly honor his legacy, the Voting Rights Advancement Act (already passed by the House) should be passed by the Senate and signed into law. In the coming months, I also will be working on other ways we can honor our beloved American hero in Tampa.

The House of Representatives has been extraordinarily productive lately and is focused on additional COVID-19 emergency aid, and moving the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), FY2021 appropriations bills, and justice-focused legislation. The death toll in Florida is devastatingly sad – and it didn’t have to be this way if the President and Governor had listened to public health experts from the get go. I will continue to press for a coordinated plan to control the virus and for action on the Heroes Act, the 5^th House-passed COVID-19 emergency aid package. Time is running out for the Senate to take action on the Heroes Act, which the House of Representatives passed on May 15. The House bill would provide a second direct cash assistance payment, more unemployment help, funds for schools and local communities, and a comprehensive plan to control the virus and supply chains. The Senate left town yesterday and has shown no sense of urgency during these difficult times.

My Committees

This week, my Energy and Commerce Committee Subcommittee on Oversights and Investigations held a hearing entitled "Pathway to a Vaccine: Efforts to Develop a Safe, Effective and Accessible COVID-19 Vaccine." Any successful effort to deploy the COVID-19 vaccine will rely on our public health experts and our longstanding health infrastructure to ensure affordable access for ALL to vaccine when available. Experts advise that may be early next year.

Votes This Week

H.R.6395 – National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021: Even in the midst of a global pandemic, our men and women in uniform at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa and across the globe are bravely defending our nation and keeping us safe. MacDill and our service members are central to the economic well-being of the Tampa Bay area, and this year’s NDAA ensures that our service men and women – and their families – have the tools they need to keep our country safe. The bipartisan NDAA passed the House and included investments I championed for our service members, such as a 3 percent pay raise for our troops and a continued commitment to upgrade base housing for military families. Read more on my website.

H.R. 7608 – The State, Foreign Operations, Agriculture, Rural Development, Interior, Environment, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2021 passed and funds the 3 percent pay raise for our service members, investments in our nation’s veterans, and a robust Environmental Protection Agency budget. This bill also importantly focuses on environmental justice communities and ensuring all of us have the tools we need to fight the increasing impacts of the climate crisis. Read more on my website.

H.R.7573 – passed to remove all statues of individuals who voluntarily served the Confederate States of America from display in the United States Capitol. For many years, I have championed the removal of Florida’s Jim Crow era confederate general from Statuary Hall, obscure Confederate General Kirby Smith. Floridians will soon be better represented in the U.S. Capitol by a symbol of hope and a better future- civil rights & education icon, Mary McLeod Bethune.

H.R. 7092 – Great American Outdoors Act passed and will head to the President’s desk for signature to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and address the maintenance backlog at our national parks. Read more on my website.

NO BAN Act passed to repeal the three versions of President Trump’s Muslim ban, strengthen the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, and restore the separation of powers by limiting overly broad executive authority to issue future travel bans. I was proud to cosponsor this bill.

Access to Counsel Act of 2020: This amendment ensures that American citizens or those with legal status in the United States have access to an attorney if they are detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in secondary or deferred inspection for more than one hour.

Please stay safe, take care of your family and neighbors, wear a mask, help our local small businesses and call my office at 813-871-2817 if you need help.

Sincerely,

Kathy Castor
Member of Congress