Political Quotes

On the recordJanuary 27, 2025
Mr. President, in 2018, I had the opportunity to visit Venezuela. It was a once prosperous, albeit imperfect, democracy suffering from terrible economic and political decline. I told then- President Maduro that if he rigged the upcoming election, Venezuelans would be even more isolated and endure further unnecessary suffering. It didn't stop him for a minute. He went ahead with a discredited election. The result was as predicted: The economy of Venezuela started descending into chaos. People were literally starving. There was an exodus of millions of people from Venezuela. You might say, if you believe that the United States has no responsibility: What is it our business anyway? Countries are going to have failed governments, and so what? What difference does it make? Well, the difference it makes is the thousands and thousands of Venezuelans who were part of an exodus from Venezuela. Most of them went to Colombia and nearby nations, but many of them came to the United States. I know. I met them. They were the bus people that were sent to Chicago, for example, by the Governor of Texas, overwhelmingly Venezuelans. How many actually came to the United States, I am not sure. I am not sure anybody really knows, but we are talking about thousands. And at this point, imagine what we are suggesting.…
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Dick Durbin
Democratic · Illinois

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