Kathy Castor

I thank my colleague, Ms. Sutton from Ohio, who is a true fighter for education reform for the working families of Ohio and all Americans. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the College Cost Reduction Act under this rule, as we are charting…

last week, the new Congress adopted the most significant expansion of veterans health care in the history of the VA. The real-life story of Lt. Sylvia Blackwood highlights why this is so important. Lt. Blackwood began suffering from PTSD…

Well, my interest, Mr. Speaker, is keeping this legislation on track. The American people spoke loud and clear in November. They called on us to fight for reform and change.

I urge adoption of the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act and the Lobbying Transparency Act and this rule. Citizens deserve open and honest leadership. We must stay on track with lobbying reform. And after the scandals in past…

I urge this Congress to chart a new direction today for a stronger and safer America. We will improve the readiness of our Armed Forces, including the National Guard and Reserves. We will put a stop on the blank check given to the White…

I thank the gentleman and before I reserve the balance of my time, on the future combat systems, so the record is clear, only in Washington can you provide $2.8 billion to a program and then say that's not enough.

when it comes to the Rules Committee, I think the record should reflect the true reality. On this Defense bill, over 130 amendments were filed and reviewed in committee, and a record-breaking number of 50 amendments have been allowed on…

I think it is also very important for the record to reflect that the Army is fully funded in its needs. Indeed, $13.6 billion are authorized through this Defense bill to fully address the equipment reset of the Army. What has happened…

I would offer, there is no debate. We must protect this great country from nuclear threats, missile threats; and in fact, this bill does that. We have provided $1.4 billion for Patriot PAC-3 and MEADS. These funds will be used to purchase…

I urge a ``yes'' vote on the Improving Head Start Act of 2007 and this rule so that we infuse Head Start with the necessary investments and program enhancements that will sustain Head Start for years to come. We will chart a new course in…

I anticipate on the floor of the House today we will hear some debate over the role of faith-based organizations in Head Start. Republicans would like language that would repeal existing civil rights protections in this Head Start law that…

Mr. Speaker, for more than 40 years Head Start has served as the premier educational and developmental program for more than 20 million American children and families. Head Start works. It works because it is a well-researched…

I urge support of H.R. 1257 to provide a reality check to the skyrocketing compensation of CEOs of corporations across America. From 1995 to 2005, average CEO pay increased five times faster than that of the average worker. The American…

I rise to honor the commitment, dedication and sacrifice of the men, women and extended family of Special Operations Command. Special Operations Command is located in Tampa, Florida, at MacDill Air Force Base in my district, and I am very…

4 years after the start of the war in Iraq, and less than 100 days since the swearing in of this new Congress, this Congress will act today. I urge my colleagues to support this rule and this legislation so we can pass the Wounded Warrior…

I thank the distinguished Rules Committee Chair. Mr. Speaker, the Iraq Accountability Act under this rule is the most responsible way to chart a new direction to the Bush-Cheney stay-the-course policy in Iraq, to bring our troops home and…

access to the highest quality health care for our seniors under Medicare is one of the most important issues facing this Congress. Unfortunately, the Bush White House has sought to undermine the great Medicare safety net by privatizing a…

I thank my colleague and I note that my colleague, unable to criticize the heart of this legislation, which is reauthorization of an important part of the Clean Water Act, instead reverts to attacking a portion of this legislation that is…

over the last 2 days Republicans who support the President's troop escalation plan have had two main message points. The first is that the resolution opposing the President's plan is nonbinding and meaningless, and the second is that the…

I oppose escalation of the war in Iraq that is being pushed by President Bush and Vice President Cheney. Their intention to send more young American men and women into what is largely a sectarian civil war is more of the same 'stay the…

We talked earlier about how the White House budget proposal we received this week is a fairy tale, but its impact on our veterans really is a nightmare. The State of Florida where I am from, we have the second highest number of veterans in…

I have also been combing through the Presidential budget proposal. One of my hometown newspapers said that the Presidential budget should begin with these words: "Once upon a time," as in a fairy tale. I am a mom with two young daughters…

You all are absolutely right. It is very difficult to understand why the White House wants to sock it to our safety net hospitals. Have you all been to the emergency room lately, tried to get in? The long lines? People are ending up in our…

I rise today on behalf of my district in the Tampa Bay area to herald the terrific achievement of our hometown hero, Tony Dungy. While Coach Dungy is the first African American coach to win a Super Bowl title, he is also a living testimony…

Well, under the new Democratic Congress, I think we now can show some leadership when it comes to health care solutions. We have such expertise out in our country in the various universities and the medical schools and with the…