[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8366-8367]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      ADDRESSING THE NATIONAL DEBT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Curbelo) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss one of 
the most serious issues facing the United States: the staggering 
national debt of over $19 trillion. This equates to $59,409 for every 
person living in our country.
  While the national debt has grown almost $9 trillion since President 
Obama

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was sworn in, here in Congress, we must work together to debate 
solutions that will address our country's debt 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. 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 reforms to entitlement programs. It is 
important that we protect 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 rein in our national debt. 
It is our duty as elected officials to leave our children and 
grandchildren the same economic opportunities as previous generations 
had. That is my highest priority in Congress.


                       Recognizing Joseph Gebara

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Joseph 
Gebara as he retires from his post as president of the Miami-Dade 
County Council PTA/PTSA. Mr. Gebara has been integral to the 
organization's mission of unlocking the potential present in every 
child.
  Mr. Gebara, who held his post since 2014, has always maintained an 
unwavering focus on his goals, and has used his position to effectively 
serve our community. For years he has been at the helm of a movement 
which seeks to engage with south Florida families and provide them with 
the tools necessary to empower their children and set them on a path 
towards success.
  Mr. Gebara has been firmly rooted in the south Florida community, 
which is evident through his service as board member of The Children's 
Trust as well as chairman of the Miami-Dade Public Schools Title I 
District Advisory Council. In those roles, Mr. Gebara worked tirelessly 
to facilitate collaboration between educators and families as well as 
increasing inclusivity so that every voice was heard, respected, and 
taken into consideration.
  I commend Mr. Joe Gebara for his service to the south Florida 
community, and congratulate him on a job well done. Mr. Speaker, I can 
personally attest to the fact that he is the most passionate advocate 
for children and families in our schools that I know.


                       Homestead Veterans Clinic

  Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my strong 
support for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in allocating funds 
to create a new VA medical clinic in Homestead, Florida. As it 
currently stands, the Homestead Veterans Affairs Community Based 
Outpatient Clinic rents a medical office that does not meet the needs 
of military members and veterans in our south Florida community. With 
the establishment of a new clinic, Homestead would be able to serve 
more than 10,000 military personnel, veterans, and eligible family 
members in Miami-Dade and Monroe Counties, which would be a substantial 
improvement from its current capabilities.
  Though this new clinic would be a step forward, there is still 
significant work that must be done to help our veterans and 
servicemembers living in the Florida Keys. They do not have a local 
clinic and must travel up to 4 hours to reach the nearest VA facility. 
These brave men and women deserve more easily accessible options, and I 
will continue fighting for them.
  Supporting our troops and veterans is essential to paying our 
profound debt of gratitude to the very people who have put their lives 
in danger to defend our freedoms. It is because of brave people like 
our veterans that America continues to have the strongest military in 
the world, and we must always honor them.

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