Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, yesterday the new administration, including Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control, OFAC, took decisive action to hold Venezuelan regime officials accountable for their elicit activity. The announcement was that two Venezuelan nationals were labeled as ``specially designated narcotics traffickers'' pursuant to the Kingpin Act, including Venezuela's second in command, the Vice President of Venezuela, and his front man, Lopez Bello. It also identified 13 companies owned or controlled by these individuals or other designated parties that pose a serious threat to U.S. national security as well as the U.S. and global financial systems. These designations were long overdue, Mr. Speaker, and represent a significant first step in what appears to be a positive, fundamental shift in our policy toward Venezuela. Just yesterday, my colleague Mario Diaz-Balart and I met with Vice President Pence to discuss Venezuela and how Congress and the administration can work together to craft a positive agenda to help the people in Latin America suffering without democracy or human rights. Last week, Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey and I led a bipartisan and bicameral letter--together with 32 of our congressional colleagues--to the President urging his administration to take immediate action against the Maduro regime for his illicit activity and for its gross human rights abuses.…”