[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 13348]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        COLOMBIA-FARC PEACE DEAL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Curbelo) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, in the coming weeks, the 
sovereign people of Colombia will decide, in a historic referendum, 
whether to approve or reject the agreement reached between the 
Colombian Government and the terrorist Revolutionary Armed Forces of 
Colombia, commonly known as FARC.
  I have made it a priority to hear from stakeholders on either side of 
this issue, and I remain concerned about the impact the deal could have 
on Colombia, as well as its broader effects on the region, especially 
given the drastic increase in coca production in recent years. My 
concerns are shared by many Americans of Colombian descent who call 
south Florida home, and who I am proud to represent in this body.
  Throughout the process, the FARC has demanded immunity, impunity, and 
political legitimacy, but we cannot ignore the thousands viciously 
murdered by this terrorist organization--people who were innocent 
victims and who demand justice that goes beyond special tribunals that 
offer relatively mild punishments.
  Throughout the decades, the FARC recruited children to serve its 
corrupt cause. American citizens were kidnapped and victimized by them. 
It is hard to believe that the FARC was an honest partner in the peace 
process, and allowing them to participate in the political process has 
been viewed as a generous and perhaps dangerous concession.
  The Colombian people will be voting on the deal next month after more 
than half a century of war. This is a decision exclusively for the 
Colombian people to make. However, those of us who cherish the U.S.-
Colombia relationship, who care deeply for Colombia and its future, and 
who are privileged to represent many in our country's Colombian-
American community must be sincere and, with respect, express our 
concerns, while at the same time renewing our commitment to the strong 
partnership between our two nations.


                     Addressing the Federal Deficit

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss one of 
the most serious issues facing the United States--the staggering 
Federal deficit, which is expected to be one-third larger this year. 
According to the Congressional Budget Office, our Federal budget 
deficit will be $590 billion, compared with a $438 billion deficit last 
year.
  Future projections don't appear to be optimistic either, with OMB 
reports stating that the deficit will rise to 4.6 percent of GDP by 
2026. For comparison, the average deficit as a share of GDP from 1966 
to 2015 was 2.8 percent. These figures make it abundantly clear that 
Congress must work toward solutions that will address our Nation's 
deficit and get our fiscal house back in order.
  Every day, families in south Florida sit around the dinner table and 
make tough decisions on how they will spend their money. They stick to 
their budgets, and their government should be no different.
  Last October, I was proud to support a 2-year bipartisan budget 
agreement that implemented new caps on discretionary spending for both 
fiscal years 2016 and 2017.

                              {time}  1100

  Too often, enormous sums are wasted due to unpredictable budget 
cycles and government shutdown threats. With the adoption of this 2-
year budget, Congress was able to reduce wasteful government spending 
by providing certainty to agencies as they plan for the future. The 
budget also contains real reforms to entitlement programs, which is the 
largest percentage of national debt. It is important that we protect 
programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid--the invaluable 
safety net for those who need the help--while working to implement 
reforms to make these programs solvent for future generations.
  Mr. Speaker, I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides 
of the aisle to advance solutions that will reduce our Federal deficit. 
It is our duty as elected officials to leave our children and 
grandchildren with the same economic opportunities as my generation, 
and that is my main priority in Congress.


                        A ``Better Way'' Agenda

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the House 
Republicans' Better Way agenda to reform the way Congress does business 
by promoting solutions that will benefit Americans across the country. 
I am proud to have supported numerous bills within the Better Way 
agenda, including two education bills that are expected to pass the 
House this week.
  The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century 
Act, of which I am an original cosponsor, provides students with the 
tools to succeed in a variety of fields, including the technology and 
healthcare sectors, by simplifying the process of applying for Federal 
funds. This legislation also increases transparency, ensuring effective 
programs that allow students, teachers, and parents to attain their 
goals.
  This year, I had the opportunity to serve on the Poverty, 
Opportunity, and Upward Mobility Task Force and suggested that we focus 
on the most vulnerable in our communities--at-risk youth. I am proud 
the Better Way agenda included a plan to reduce poverty for children 
and was proud to introduce the bipartisan Supporting Youth Opportunity 
and Preventing Delinquency Act. This legislation sets kids up for long-
term success by giving State and local leaders the flexibility to 
better meet the specific needs of at-risk children in their 
communities.

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