Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, the situation in Venezuela is deteriorating very quickly. In Venezuela, the people are running out of medicine, running out of food, experiencing electricity shortages, and the regime cannot even provide basic goods for the people. Time is ticking, Mr. Speaker. It is not a matter of if; it is a matter of when Venezuela implodes due to the destructive policies of Nicolas Maduro. And the United States cannot sit idly by and watch this train wreck occur before our very eyes. Responsible countries in Latin America must also stand up and be a voice for those suffering in Venezuela. Last week, 15 countries from the region signed a joint statement that expressed respect for the Venezuelan Constitution and called on responsible nations to guarantee due process and human rights. This is a good first step, Mr. Speaker, and I applaud those countries, but more needs to be done. Tomorrow, the Organization of American States, the OAS, will have a meeting to discuss this crisis. I know that there are some who are advocating for dialogue, but we have tried dialogue before, and it was unsuccessful as Maduro kept coming up with new delays and obstacles in order to prevent a solution. We cannot allow Maduro to continue the charade of a dialogue as a stalling tactic. A referendum, Mr. Speaker, must occur this year. The people demand it.…”