Jack Reed: “Are we making progress on that front? Is there something that we have to do either with carrots or sticks?”

President Trump has been explicit about his desire to extract Venezuela's oil," Reed said in a statement.

His administration removed Nicolás Maduro from power, threw its weight behind the unelected leadership that replaced Maduro, and is now attempting to use U.S. military assets and taxpayer-backed financing to boost a private oil venture.

RIPTA strives to provide affordable and accessible transportation to all, but that mission is jeopardized.

A blatant abuse of power and taxpayer dollars.