Political Quotes

“reserving the right to object, every Member of the Senate knows that Venezuela's illegitimate dictator, Nicolas Maduro, has created an unprecedented and harrowing humanitarian crisis in that country. Extreme food and medicine shortages, widespread criminal violence, and brutal state-sponsored repression have forced more than 4.3 million Venezuelans to flee their homeland. This number could be 8 million by the end of next year. As Venezuelans flee their country, it is time for the United States to place itself fully on the side of the Venezuelan people. Unfortunately, just this week we have seen news stories about the Trump administration deporting Venezuelans from Florida. It is unconscionable that anyone would be sent back to the catastrophic humanitarian conditions that exist in Venezuela. That is why, in February of this year, Senator Durbin and I, along with Senators Rubio, Leahy, and Booker, introduced bipartisan legislation to provide TPS to Venezuelans living here in the United States. The House of Representatives has already passed a version of this bill back in July, with support from dozens of Republican Members. However, rather than providing TPS for vulnerable Venezuelans in the United States, the junior Senator from Florida has brought up an amendment that seeks to overhaul existing TPS statute and make it easier for the Trump administration to strip status from vulnerable migrants who are legally in the United States.…”