I do believe that it is important that the Lima Group and some of our allies in the region take the lead on this.

I am concerned about the conversations that the President is having with the threat of sending military into Venezuela.

Democracy is the key for me. And I have got a deep and long history with Venezuela.

I do not like the fact that there is no democracy in Saudi Arabia. I do not like the fact that there is no democracy in North Korea.

This subcommittee, in particular, has jurisdiction over important issues that directly impact every one of our constituents--issues that keep many parents up at night as they consider their family's finances.

Our committee is powerful not only because it touches our country's largest companies and Wall Street financial institutions but because its focus is to promote the economic well-being of Main Street, consumers, and investors.

Chairwoman Waters has set an ambitious agenda for the Financial Services Committee, which I look forward to working on and advancing.

I saw recall elections, and Hugo Chavez allowed the democratic process to continue, and he faced those recall elections and won, fair and square.

I watched people line up in a peaceful way and waited for hours to vote, and elected Hugo Chavez.

I saw back then that individuals who were poor, who had never had anything from any other government, never any consideration, where I was on the ground to see that they, for the first time, were getting schools and hospitals, and getting…

I was part of a bipartisan delegation. It was Cass Ballenger from North Carolina, Bill Delahunt from Massachusetts, and myself who engaged with then-President Hugo Chavez.