Carlos Curbelo

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 140, and YEA on Roll Call No. 141.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Commander Christopher A. Weech of the United States Navy. Commander Weech has made a career of defending our nation's freedom on the high seas for the past 34 years. Commander Weech was born and attended school in Key West, Florida, the southernmost point of Florida's 26th District and the United States. CDR Weech's military service has taken him far and wide. He has crossed the Equator four times and was initiated into the Solemn Mysteries of the Ancient Order of Shellbacks on 9 October 1990. His commitment and dedication to serving our nation have earned Commander Weech the Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy Commendation Medal (5 Gold Stars) and the Navy Achievement Medal (1 Gold Star). CDR Weech's final assignment was as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Training and Exercises on the staff of Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. TENTH Fleet. Now, after 34 years of service Commander Weech has decided to retire from the Navy. His leadership will certainly be missed, but we look forward to Commander Weech becoming an active part of the community as a civilian. His wife Jennifer and two daughters Jenna and Britain have a lot to be proud of. I am honored to recognize individuals such as CDR Weech who have given so much in service to our nation.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA on Roll Call No. 89.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 95. personal explanation

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, the attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentine's Day was an incomprehensible act of violence. I visited the school on Friday, an experience that was both moving and sobering. I walked through the horrifying events that took place there, and I witnessed the outpouring of love and support from so many who have deposited flowers, candles, and left beautiful messages in memory of the victims. Upon reflecting on that visit and after meeting with the brave student and teacher survivors Sunday in south Florida and yesterday here in Washington, I believe the best way for elected officials to honor the fallen and their families is by taking meaningful action to prevent these tragedies in the future. That means working to make sure law enforcement agencies have the resources to assess threats and intervene before it is too late. It means investing in mental health, reevaluating school security with measures like the bipartisan STOP School Violence Act, and securing stronger regulations on guns. Mr. Speaker, the voices and engagement of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas survivors calling for change to our gun safety laws will be decisive. We, as a society, must work together to address loopholes and vulnerabilities in existing law while still protecting Americans' Second Amendment rights. From strengthening the NICS system to banning bump stocks and preventing those with links to terrorist organizations from acquiring firearms, to raising the age for the purchase of long guns to 21, with exceptions for those in our military and law enforcement, there are commonsense solutions that will not prevent every tragedy but can certainly prevent some and mitigate others. It won't be easy, but we must make progress on all these fronts. As as a father and a husband, I will not accept that, in the greatest country in the world, the loss of innocent life becomes commonplace. I am calling on congressional leaders in both Chambers and in both parties to work together and allow Congress to craft, consider, and debate legislation that protects the Second Amendment rights of law- abiding citizens while making all Americans safer. We have to do better, Mr. Speaker. I look forward to working with all my colleagues to honor the 17 innocent lives lost in Parkland.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Reichert and Ranking Member Pascrell for their important work on this legislation. I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 4979, to provide a 3-year renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences. The GSP program provides duty-free access to the U.S. market for selected goods from 121 developing countries. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I have always been an advocate of policies that allow businesses and consumers to acquire products of their choice at the best possible price. The GSP program gives our businesses and consumers that choice by promoting economic growth in developing countries while creating jobs here at home. In 2017, U.S. importers enjoyed nearly $865 million in savings on import duties under the GSP program. During the same year, my home State of Florida had $1.2 billion of imports covered by the program and a total savings of $59 million on import duties. Mr. Speaker, that is about a 40 percent increase in savings from 2016. I want to share the story of Mr. Bruce Price, a small-business owner in my district who would benefit from renewing the GSP program. He recently told my office he expects savings in the range of $25,000 to $45,000 per year if the program is renewed. For Mr. Price, those savings go a long way and make a major difference in determining his business decisions. I commend the work the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade has done to reinforce our commitment to free and fair trade partnerships around the world. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 4979 to help Mr. Price and other small-business owners hire more workers all across our country.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, last year Congress passed historic tax reform repairing our Nation's broken Tax Code. The positive effects of this new law are beginning to be felt across the country as businesses of all sizes reward their workers with bonuses and higher wages, all while hiring more people to fill new positions. Millions of Americans across the income spectrum will start seeing more money in their paychecks as soon as this month. However, with the growth of wages and bonuses being realized, reprehensible individuals looking to commit fraud and take advantage of countless hardworking Americans as they file their taxes will see this as a prime opportunity to ply unsuspecting victims. Sadly, fraudulent tax preparation is a problem we know all too well in south Florida. Fortunately, free tax filing assistance is available for those who need it. The IRS offers the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, known as VITA, to provide free tax preparation services from volunteer tax professionals in local communities. Mr. Speaker, for low-income families with an annual income of less than $54,000, the elderly, and those struggling with English, VITA services are an opportunity to make the most of the recent tax relief legislation and ensure they are getting as much in their tax return as possible. Sixty percent of residents in my district qualify for this assistance in preparing their taxes, which is why I have made fighting to protect and strengthen the VITA program one of my top priorities since being appointed to the Ways and Means Committee last year. Together with my Democratic colleague Representative Danny Davis, I introduced a bipartisan bill that would permanently authorize the IRS to fund this free tax preparation service. It also ensures that VITA grant recipients, who already have accuracy rates of 94 percent, including tax returns claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit, maintain strong records of accuracy that will save taxpayers money. My legislation is an important step toward ensuring the IRS is serving taxpayers and not the other way around. I am proud it has strong bipartisan support. In my district, United Way of Miami-Dade and United Way of Monroe work hard to connect lower-income taxpayers or those with limited English skills with reliable, legitimate tax preparation assistance-- entirely for free through the IRS VITA program. I was honored to invite United Way of Miami-Dade to Washington last year to share the work they do to help so many in our community fully utilize this free resource. Unfortunately, I won't be able to visit United Way in South Dade this afternoon as planned, but I look forward to rescheduling to bring attention to their work soon. I want to ensure as many constituents as possible are aware these services are available to protect their hard-earned paychecks, especially in a period of historic tax relief, and I encourage anyone looking for more information to reach out to my office for assistance.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Army Private First Class Johnny Little is a former resident of my district who had been killed in action at the very young age of 19 near Cologne, Germany, while fighting Nazis during World War II. Once Private First Class Little's remains were brought to south Florida, three years after being killed, he was regrettably buried without the recognition of his service that should have marked his grave all these years. When I became aware of his case last year, I felt it was important this mistake be corrected quickly. My staff immediately opened a case and located Little's service records. After working with members of his family, my office was able to put in a request to the Department of Veterans Affairs to secure the appropriate marker for his grave. Unfortunately, due to the damage from Hurricane Irma, the cemetery was damaged and the installation of his headstone had to be put on hold. Thanks largely in part to the work of volunteers who cleaned up and led the recovery after the storm, I am pleased to share that First Class John William Little will finally be receiving the recognition he deserves as his family and members of the community come together with the Homestead Air Force Base Honor Guard to place a proper headstone on his grave later today. Little was part of what we call the Greatest Generation, and the name is rightly deserved. At a time when human dignity and basic freedoms were under attack, he and millions like him put their lives on hold to ensure our way of life would be protected for generations to come. The basic freedoms we value, the way of life we enjoy, and even the continued existence of our government institutions are because of the sacrifices made by men and women like Private First Class Little. I am proud of my staff's hard work to secure this recognition for one of our fallen heroes and humbled that we were able to play a role in honoring his memory and sacrifice. I am disappointed I won't be there to honor him in person today, but I look forward to visiting his grave to pay my respects soon. VITA United Way

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Subcommittee Chairman Johnson and Ranking Member Larson for their hard work on this legislation. I am proud to be a cosponsor of H.R. 4547, the Strengthening Protections for Social Security Beneficiaries Act of 2018. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I had the opportunity to engage in this issue during hearings the committee held last year. I recognize the need for reform of the representative payee program in order to improve its integrity and ensure that beneficiaries are getting the assistance they need. The representative payee program helps around 8 million Social Security beneficiaries manage their benefits. H.R. 4547 offers several reforms that will improve the program. These include provisions that will help better protect vulnerable beneficiaries, particularly those who are in foster care, by allowing for enhanced information sharing with State foster care programs. This will ensure that children in foster care have the appropriate representative payee if there is a change in placement. The bill also improves oversight of representative payees by requiring State protection and advocacy programs to conduct reviews of payee performance. Mr. Speaker, many Social Security beneficiaries require assistance in managing their benefits. I appreciate the work that the Ways and Means' Subcommittee on Social Security has done to improve the Social Security representative payee program, and I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 4547.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 045, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 046, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 047.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague Mr. Gaetz for this special hour to shine a light on this issue, on the Federal Government's overreach and unjust treatment of legally operating businesses all across our country. Businesses that operate legally and in compliance with their State's laws and regulations deserve a Federal Government that respects the 10th Amendment of the Constitution. Like my colleagues, I have been disappointed that, when it comes to the treatment of these legal marijuana businesses, the current administration, which supposedly respects the federalist model of our government, continues to take such drastic steps to ignore States' rights and the decisions of voters and State legislatures across the country. In the 2016 elections, over 70 percent of Florida citizens voted to legalize the use of medical marijuana. The two counties that make up my own congressional district in south Florida, Monroe and Miami-Dade, voted in favor of the measure 80.3 percent and 68.3 percent, respectively. The voices and the votes of my constituents, Mr. Speaker, matter. The 10th Amendment of the Constitution matters, and for those who like to call themselves constitutionalists, the entire Constitution has to matter, not just the parts that are convenient at a given time. In addition to the witch hunt opened up by the Attorney General's actions last week, current Federal law also prohibits these businesses from deducting the common expenses associated with running a small business when they file their taxes, expenses necessary to running a business like rent, most utilities, and payroll. Simply put, this rule places legitimate enterprises which have been established under State law at a major competitive disadvantage where legal employers are paying exorbitantly higher effective tax rates. That is why I introduced H.R. 1810, the Small Business Tax Equity Act, last year. This bipartisan bill amends the Tax Code to allow legally operating marijuana businesses to utilize common tax deductions and credits, thus providing them with tax parity. The Federal Government should not be ignoring States' rights and the decisions of voters and State legislatures across the country. We must work to afford all businesses selling legal products the opportunity to make appropriate deductions and contribute to our economy and create jobs. Another important point, Mr. Speaker--and again I thank my colleague for taking this time and bringing us together to talk about this issue in a bipartisan manner--the best ally of those who are operating illegally, the drug cartels, the drug traffickers who do not pay any taxes, who target children, the best ally they have are the policies that the Attorney General has embraced. Because what happens, Mr. Speaker, is that these legally operating businesses can no longer compete and people turn to the black market. So, hopefully inadvertently--I hope inadvertently--the Attorney General has actually done a great favor to those who operate outside the law and is punishing those who are actually trying to control this substance, to keep it away from young people, to make sure that only those who have permission from their States, prescriptions from their doctors, can access this substance. I am, again, so grateful to join my colleagues tonight to call on the Attorney General, on this administration, on this President, who, when he campaigned said, ``I will defer to the States; I will respect the States,'' and, in this case, a State like Florida, which voted for the President, also voted 71 percent to allow medical marijuana in our State, all the way from Key West to the panhandle. The residents of Florida deserve to be respected. I will continue working with my colleagues on this side of the aisle, across the aisle, to make sure that our government respects States' rights, to make sure that our government is on the side of those who want to operate within the law, those who want to pay taxes, those who want to be compliant, not the gangs and the illegal drug traffickers who are celebrating today as a result of this dangerous policy change.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 1661, a bill originally introduced by Representative Tiberi of Ohio, for the purposes of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the House Republican Conference, I send to the desk a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind my colleagues how critical it is that Republicans and Democrats work in good faith to find a compromise on immigration policy in the coming days. Congress first began trying to pass legislation for the benefit of young immigrants who were brought to our country as children through no fault of their own some 17 years ago. All attempts have failed, but this time failure is not an option. 800,000 DREAMers who came forward and registered with the government in recent years would be at risk. These are young people who are working, paying taxes, getting educated, and contributing to our country. They speak English. Some of them want to serve in our military to defend our freedoms. They sat in the same classrooms and grew up with our own children. Many have no memories of their countries of origin. Mr. Speaker, these are America's children. That is why we all need to work together in the coming days and find a compromise that can secure the future for these young immigrants and, at the same time, make our country safer and more prosperous by securing our borders and reforming our immigration laws. Americans have been expecting results from Congress on immigration policy for years. Enough is enough. The time for action is now.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dale Adamson, a dedicated teacher of mathematics at Howard D. McMillan Middle School in my district and a recent recipient of the prestigious Milken Educator Award. Central to Mr. Adamson's selection was his classroom rapport with students, ability to explain complicated concepts through real-world applications, and a daily commitment to his craft. Not satisfied with simply lecturing on abstract theories at the chalkboard, Mr. Adamson gained well-deserved renown for exciting his students with real-world problems like how algebra was used by NASA recently to land a probe on an asteroid or the multitude of mathematical principles one might observe launching objects off the school's roof. The Milken Family Foundation's motto states that ``the future belongs to the educated.'' As a past member of the Miami-Dade School Board and the proud father of two daughters in the public school system, I am glad to have teachers like Mr. Adamson in our community. I sincerely believe that educators with the heart and imagination displayed by Mr. Adamson are the key to unlocking the next generation's potential. Immigration Policy

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, last week, the Department of the Interior announced a newly proposed plan to expand offshore drilling off our country's coasts, including Florida's. Shortly after making the announcement, Secretary Zinke guaranteed that States will have a voice in this process. So I have come to the floor today as the elected Representative of the Florida Keys and southern Miami-Dade, a district that includes ecological treasures and economic drivers like the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Everglades National Park, and Biscayne National Park, to be that voice. I can say this with confidence: the people of Florida and its leaders, including myself, have made it clear over and over again how we feel about offshore drilling near Florida. We don't want it. We don't want to put our beautiful beaches and environmental treasures at risk. We don't want to risk the livelihoods of millions of hardworking American men, women, and families when there is no need. Florida simply has too much to lose. Mr. Speaker, I, along with many of my colleagues in this Chamber, both Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson, and our Governor Rick Scott, are going to make sure Florida's voice is heard loud and clear on this issue: we don't want drilling near Florida's shores, we don't need drilling near Florida's shores, and we will not allow this or any administration to put our economy or our environment at risk. Honoring Milken Educator Award Recipient Dale Adamson

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Brady for that.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This crucial legislation before us today marks the first time in 31 years that Congress has considered a major overhaul to the current Tax Code that is overly cumbersome, wildly outdated, and riddled with special- interest loopholes. Mr. Speaker, it is obvious there is a great deal of frustration and anxiety in our country. I truly believe it is due to the fact that the economic recovery has not reached every household. Throughout south Florida, I hear from families and small businesses who are worried about saving for their kids' college or making payroll. While the stock market is humming and unemployment is low, wages have been stagnant, and the so-called recovery has left way too many people behind. That is why this bill is so important. This legislation will collapse and lower current tax rates to ensure a typical middle-income family in south Florida will receive about $1,500 in tax relief. For married couples, it doubles the standard deduction from $12,000 to $24,000, drastically simplifying the process of filing taxes each year for over 90 percent of Americans while allowing taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned money. The bill also expands the child tax credit from $1,000 to $1,600 per child, a benefit that will be seen by 43,768 taxpayers in Florida's 26th District, while we are also making it easier to save for college by expanding 529 plans to cover more expenses, including apprenticeship programs. All these benefits will directly help alleviate the increasing cost of raising a family. On the business side, this bill gives American companies of all sizes, especially our smaller enterprises and entrepreneurs, a chance to compete and win in the new globalized economy. By providing businesses with lower tax rates, we will make it easier for job creators to invest here at home and increase paychecks for American workers. Mr. Speaker, as a proud Member of the Ways and Means Committee, I commend Chairman Brady, his staff, and the Members of this House who will soon support this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ensure we provide all Americans, especially the most vulnerable, the opportunity to find their economic success. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Brady for working with me to begin addressing the important issue of helping our fellow American citizens in Puerto Rico. After the devastating effects of Hurricanes Irma and Maria, our committee delivered immediate results for the island through a disaster tax relief package targeted to help people get back on their feet. While it will take at least months for the island to fully recover, we are providing even more assistance to Puerto Rico with the legislation being considered today. I want to thank Chairman Brady for helping us extend the rum cover- over to $13.25 per proof gallon to be paid back to the treasuries of both Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands through 2023. I am also grateful that under this bill, companies operating in Puerto Rico can deduct income attributable to domestic production activities retroactively for the year 2017. Moving forward, I am hopeful we can work together to find creative solutions to better target the child tax credit to serve more Puerto Rico families and study the expanded use of the earned income tax credit for the Commonwealth. In addition, I look forward to continuing to work on solutions to ensure the businesses operating on the island have the certainty they need in terms of tax planning to hire more workers and strengthen Puerto Rico's economy.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to my colleague from Illinois for leading this special discussion tonight. I am grateful to have the opportunity to come here for a few minutes. And more than anything, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, Republicans and Democrats, who have stepped up and said: Enough of the demagoguery, enough of the fact-less conversation. Let's focus on what is happening in the world, on how human beings are contributing to it, and let's try to make the situation better. I oftentimes say that, on this climate issue, neither the deniers nor the alarmists have much to offer. It is the men and women who are willing to sit at the table and have a sober conversation that can really help solve this problem. There are a lot of people who are counting on us to solve this problem. Sea level rise is a reality. It is happening all over the world. Mr. Speaker, you might understand why this might be important to me. I represent a community where most people live near sea level and near the sea. This is a real concern, especially in the Florida Keys, one of the most attractive and dynamic parts of the country, an area that is recovering. We hope our fellow Americans will help us continue recovering after Hurricane Irma. The Florida Keys and most of south Florida are significantly exposed to this sea level rise challenge, and we know that human activity is at least, in part, responsible for this dynamic. The Climate Solutions Caucus is not about blaming people. It is not about pointing the finger. It is about coming up with solutions. I think there are really three phases to our caucus and our work. The first phase was to bring Republicans and Democrats together, sit at the table, have a discussion about our different perspectives on this issue, invite in some key witnesses to help inform us. We have done that. We have done a good job. Caucus members have a very good relationship, a good rapport. The next phase has been to block anti-climate legislation. We have done that successfully here with some appropriations amendment where the caucus has come together and said: No. We are not going to prohibit the Defense Department from assessing the risks associated with climate change. Again, this is critical in my district. I happen to represent Naval Air Station Key West, where the men and women of the Navy work hard to train and prepare to defend our country overseas. That is a facility that is exposed to this threat. We came together and we defeated an amendment that would have prohibited the Defense Department from assessing these risks. I am really excited for the next phase of the caucus, which I hope we can reach during this Congress, which is to find legislation that we can all get behind and say that these are reasonable solutions that not only help the environment and help guarantee that we are going to hand off to our children and grandchildren the same beautiful Earth that we inherited, but also that we are going to provide opportunities for American innovation and growth, and new good jobs, high-paying jobs, for young men and women from all over this country. That is going to be very exciting, and we are all working together to get to that day where we can promote an agenda in this Congress that will bring Republicans and Democrats together behind a pro-environment, pro-growth policy that will save this planet and keep our country on the cutting edge of innovation, leading the world. This is a not an issue that we should shy away from. We should rise to this occasion. This is the country that has led the entire world through a host of different challenges over the last couple centuries. We can also do it on this climate issue, but I think we can only do it if we do it together. Mr. Speaker, I thank all of my colleagues, but especially my Democratic colleagues tonight who have led this Special Order, organized this Special Order. I think we all would like to invite our colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join the caucus, especially on my side. We are up to 30 Republicans, 30 Democrats. That is very exciting. When I arrived here a couple years ago, I probably had only two or three Republican colleagues who were even willing to discuss this issue, and now there are 30 on the record. Let's keep the caucus growing, let's keep it strong, let's work together, and let's change the world for the better.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I believe in bipartisanship, which means that oftentimes I am disappointed in this institution, but today I am not disappointed, I am shocked. I am shocked that some would politicize such a sensitive, desperate situation that so many Americans, from Texas to Puerto Rico, are facing at this hour. My colleagues say they want to help the people of Puerto Rico, the people of the Florida Keys in my district, and others throughout the country. A lot of them have come here boasting about the fact that they have never opposed a disaster relief package, yet they are willing to do so today. Why? To try to attempt to score political points. I think that is wrong, and I can't help but take it personally, because my constituents really need this help. The people of Puerto Rico, by the way, the person they elected to this chamber, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon, supports this legislation; Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands, our colleague, put her name to this legislation as well; Chairman Brady, whose constituents are trying to recover in the Houston area, is asking for passage of this legislation, yet people from other parts of the country are coming to this floor saying: No, that is not good enough for your constituents. So if my constituents get nothing, I should tell them: That is right. Someone from elsewhere said that because this wasn't good enough, you get nothing. That is just wrong. This is an important first step that we have to take to help people in all of these jurisdictions, especially the people of Puerto Rico, because we know that the situation there is in no way comparable to anything that has happened on the mainland. It is personal for me in that sense as well, because guess what? When my wife's family was exiled from Cuba, they went to Puerto Rico and they were welcomed there. My wife's two elder brothers were born in Puerto Rico. My wife still has family in Puerto Rico, and I know that this legislation would improve their situation. Can we do more? Should we do more? Should we work together to do more in the future? Yes, we should and we will, but that is no excuse to vote against this legislation, that is no excuse to leverage the suffering of these people to try to achieve a political objective or even to advance different legislation. I respectfully ask all my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, and I thank the 26 Democrats who stood with us on Monday, and I ask them to do it again today and for more to join us, to send a strong message of national unity for the people of Florida, Texas, Louisiana, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and, yes, Puerto Rico. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Brady), the distinguished chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Shuster), the chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill currently under consideration.

Mr. CURBELO of Florida. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 538, I call up the bill (H.R. 3823) to amend title 49, United States Code, to extend authorizations for the airport improvement program, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the funding and expenditure authority of the Airport and Airway Trust Fund, to provide disaster tax relief, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration.