[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 854 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 854
To provide humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people, including
Venezuelan migrants and refugees in the Americas and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 29, 2019
Ms. Mucarsel-Powell (for herself, Ms. Shalala, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Ms.
Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Soto, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Espaillat, and Ms.
Frankel) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people, including
Venezuelan migrants and refugees in the Americas and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Humanitarian Assistance to the
Venezuelan People Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Venezuela is in the grips of unprecedented political
and economic turmoil marked by hyperinflation, soaring crime
rates, and an authoritarian President.
(2) President Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor have,
through authoritarianism, graft, and incompetence, precipitated
a massive humanitarian crisis both inside Venezuela and
throughout the Western Hemisphere.
(3) The Venezuelan gross domestic product is expected to
contract for the sixth year in a row in 2019, with the
Government defaulting on its external debt and inflation
projected to exceed 1 million percent this year.
(4) Health outcomes in Venezuela have approached critical
levels as food, medicine, and services become increasingly
inaccessible, with 11.4 percent of children in Venezuela under
5 years old suffering from moderate or acute malnutrition.
(5) Nearly 10 percent of Venezuela's population of 31
million have fled overseas, with nearly 90 percent of those
remaining living in poverty.
(6) Venezuelans have lost an average of 19 pounds of weight
due to nationwide food shortages since the beginning of the
country's economic crisis.
(7) Venezuela is suffering from an 88 percent medicine
shortage, with more than 22,000 doctors leaving Venezuela in
the past 4 years.
(8) The Maduro Government has repeatedly rejected offers of
humanitarian assistance, despite the return of once-vanquished
diseases like diphtheria and measles, rampant cases of malaria,
and the sharp rise in infant and maternal mortality.
(9) Venezuela's rates of homicide and other crimes have
risen dramatically over the course of the crisis, with chronic
underreporting contributing to an insufficient understanding of
the scope of the crisis.
SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT FOR STRATEGY TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO
THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the
Administrator of the United States Agency for International
Development, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of
the Senate a long-term strategy to provide humanitarian assistance to
the people of Venezuela both in Venezuela and throughout the Western
Hemisphere through credible and independent nongovernmental
organizations operating in Venezuela or in neighboring countries to
alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people.
(b) Matters To Be Included.--The strategy required under subsection
(a) shall include the following:
(1) A description of how and to what extent the following
assistance will be provided:
(A) Public health commodities for Venezuelan health
facilities and services, including medicines on the
World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines
and basic medical supplies and equipment.
(B) Basic food commodities and nutritional
supplements needed to address growing malnutrition and
improve food security for the people of Venezuela, with
a specific emphasis on the most vulnerable populations.
(C) Technical assistance to ensure health and food
commodities are appropriately selected, procured, and
distributed, predominantly through local
nongovernmental organizations.
(2) An identification of United States Agency for
International Development best practices in delivering
humanitarian assistance, particularly with regard to food
assistance and how such best practices are being utilized in
providing humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.
(3) A description of obstacles put in place by the Maduro
Government to prohibit the entry of humanitarian assistance
into the country.
(4) A description of efforts to enhance support for
countries in the Western Hemisphere in supporting the
humanitarian needs of Venezuelan migrants.
(5) A description of efforts to ensure that humanitarian
assistance for Venezuelans is coordinated with other United
States bilateral assistance in the Western Hemisphere and does
not result in eliminating other bilateral assistance.
(6) A description of how humanitarian assistance is being
monitored and evaluated and what additional staff are managing
the assistance.
SEC. 4. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES EFFORTS TO PROVIDE
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report assessing the impact
of United States humanitarian assistance to the people of Venezuela
both in Venezuela and throughout the Western Hemisphere.
SEC. 5. SUPPORT FOR EFFORTS AT THE UNITED NATIONS ON THE HUMANITARIAN
AND POLITICAL CRISIS IN VENEZUELA.
(a) Initial Efforts.--The President shall instruct the Permanent
Representative of the United States to the United Nations to use the
voice, vote, and influence of the United States to secure the necessary
votes to--
(1) place the humanitarian and political crisis in
Venezuela on the agenda at the United Nations; and
(2) secure a Presidential Statement from the United Nations
urging the Government of Venezuela to allow the delivery of
humanitarian relief.
(b) Additional Efforts.--
(1) In general.--Beginning not later than 30 days after the
conclusion of efforts by the United States Permanent
Representative to the United Nations under subsection (a), the
President shall instruct the Permanent Representative to use
the voice, vote, and influence of the United States to secure
the adoption of a United Nations resolution described in
paragraph (2).
(2) Resolution described.--The United Nations resolution
referred to in paragraph (1) is a resolution encouraging--
(A) the Government of Venezuela to promptly allow
safe and unhindered access for humanitarian agencies
and their implementing partners, including possible
support from neighboring countries; and
(B) the Government of Venezuela to allow the
delivery of food and medicine.
SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO
THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA.
(a) In General.--The President is authorized to provide
humanitarian assistance to support the people of Venezuela both in
Venezuela and throughout the Western Hemisphere.
(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to the President $150,000,000 each year for fiscal years
2020 and 2021 to carry out this section.
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