Political Quotes

“Yesterday the House approved an amendment I offered to the State-Foreign Operations Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2020, and I wanted to take this opportunity to explain the amendment. There is a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, and it is man-made. In my view, the people of Venezuela will not prosper as long as the regime of Nicolas Maduro remains in power. The regime has proven itself to be cruel, incompetent, and anti-democratic. It is driving what was one of Latin America's most vibrant nations into the ground. The United States cannot be passive. We must stand behind the proud Venezuelan patriots who are struggling to reclaim their country from the regime that is destroying it. Like last year's bill, this year's State-Foreign Operations bill provides $17.5 million for USAID and State Department programs to promote democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela. This funding is drawn from the nearly $2.2 billion in economic support funds that the bill provides for countries around the world. That is good, but we can and we should do better. Because the situation in Venezuela has significantly worsened in recent months, our amendment would increase the $17.5 million for Venezuela by $3 million for a total of $20.5 million. This enhanced funding will be used for five main purposes in Venezuela: to defend human rights, strengthen civil society, improve governance, support independent media, and promote fair and transparent elections.…”