[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 51 (Monday, March 25, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H2781-H2784]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                RUSSIAN-VENEZUELAN THREAT MITIGATION ACT

  Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 1477) to require a threat assessment and strategy to counter 
Russian influence in Venezuela, an assessment of foreign acquisition of 
CITGO assets in the United States, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1477

       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 ``Russian-Venezuelan Threat 
     Mitigation Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Russian Federation's increased presence in the 
     Western Hemisphere is of concern to the United States and our 
     allies in the region.
       (2) In December 2018, the Russian Federation sent two Tu-
     160 nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela for joint exercises 
     with the Venezuelan military. The Tu-160 can carry 
     conventional or nuclear-tipped cruise missiles with an 
     estimated maximum range of around 3,000 miles.
       (3) Russian and Venezuelan forces took part in a joint 10-
     hour exercise across the

[[Page H2782]]

     Caribbean in December 2018 with the Tu-160 nuclear-capable 
     bombers.
       (4) Nicolas Maduro and his regime have turned to the 
     Russian Federation, one of its strongest political allies, 
     for financial support during its current economic crisis and 
     to counter international support for Juan Guaido.
       (5) In January 2018, Russia sent contractors linked to the 
     Wagner Group to provide security for Nicolas Maduro.
       (6) Nicolas Maduro secured loans from the Russian 
     Federation to be repaid through future oil exports, but fell 
     behind on those payments in 2017. News reports in December 
     2018 suggest that Russian State oil company Rosneft has lent 
     Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PdVSA) 
     $6.5 billion partly as prepayment for crude oil, $3.1 billion 
     of which remained outstanding as of the end of September 
     2018.
       (7) In 2016, PdVSA secured a $1.5 billion loan from 
     Rosneft, and PdVSA used 49.9 percent of its shares in United 
     States-based and Venezuelan-owned company CITGO as 
     collateral. A Venezuelan default could lead to potential 
     Russian ownership of United States energy infrastructure.
       (8) At the conclusion of a 3-day visit to Moscow in 
     December 2018, Maduro announced $6 billion worth of Russian 
     investment pledges focused on the oil and mining sectors as 
     well as the export of 600,000 tons of Russian wheat to 
     Venezuela to cover its 2019 needs.

     SEC. 3. THREAT ASSESSMENT AND STRATEGY TO COUNTER RUSSIAN 
                   INFLUENCE IN VENEZUELA.

       (a) Threat Assessment.--Not later than 120 days after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State 
     shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an 
     assessment on Russian-Venezuelan security cooperation and the 
     potential threat such cooperation poses to the United States 
     and countries in the Western Hemisphere.
       (b) Strategy.--Not later than 30 days after the submission 
     of the threat assessment required under subsection (a), the 
     Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate 
     congressional committees a strategy to counter threats 
     identified in such assessment from Russian-Venezuelan 
     cooperation.
       (c) Form.--The threat assessment required under subsection 
     (a) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a 
     classified annex.
       (d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``appropriate 
     congressional committees'' means the Committee on Foreign 
     Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations of the Senate.

     SEC. 4. ASSESSMENT OF FOREIGN ACQUISITION OF CITGO ASSETS IN 
                   THE UNITED STATES.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the President shall transmit to 
     the appropriate congressional committees an assessment of the 
     national security risks posed by potential Russian 
     acquisition of CITGO's United States energy infrastructure 
     holdings.
       (b) Definition.--In this section, the term ``appropriate 
     congressional committees'' means the Committee on Foreign 
     Affairs, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee 
     on Financial Services of the House of Representatives and the 
     Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 
     Appropriations, and the Committee on Banking of the Senate 
     and the Committee on Financial Services of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Banking of the Senate.

     SEC. 5. ALIENS INELIGIBLE FOR VISAS, ADMISSION, OR PAROLE.

       (a) In General.--An alien who the Secretary of State or the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security (or a designee of one of such 
     Secretaries) knows, or has reason to believe, is an alien who 
     is acting or has acted on behalf of the Russian Government in 
     direct support of the Venezuelan security forces is--
       (1) inadmissible to the United States;
       (2) ineligible to receive a visa or other documentation to 
     enter the United States; and
       (3) otherwise ineligible to be admitted or paroled into the 
     United States or to receive any other benefit under the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.).
       (b) Current Visas Revoked.--
       (1) In general.--The issuing consular officer, the 
     Secretary of State, or the Secretary of Homeland Security (or 
     a designee of one of such Secretaries) shall, in accordance 
     with section 221(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 
     U.S.C. 1201(i)), revoke any visa or other entry documentation 
     issued to an alien described in subsection (a) regardless of 
     when the visa or other entry documentation is issued.
       (2) Effect of revocation.--A revocation under paragraph (1) 
     shall--
       (A) take effect immediately; and
       (B) automatically cancel any other valid visa or entry 
     documentation that is in the alien's possession.
       (c) Exception to Comply With United Nations Headquarters 
     Agreement or for National Security Reasons.--
       (1) International obligations.--This section shall not 
     apply to an alien if admitting the alien into the United 
     States is necessary to permit the United States to comply 
     with--
       (A) the Agreement regarding the Headquarters of the United 
     Nations, signed at Lake Success June 26, 1947, and entered 
     into force November 21, 1947, between the United Nations and 
     the United States; or
       (B) other applicable international obligations of the 
     United States.
       (2) National security.--The President may waive the 
     application of this section to an alien if the President--
       (A) determines that such a waiver is in the national 
     interest of the United States; and
       (B) transmits to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the 
     House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign 
     Relations a notice of and justification for such waiver.
       (d) Termination.--This section shall terminate on the 
     earlier of--
       (1) the date that is one year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act; or
       (2) the date on which the President certifies to the 
     Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives 
     and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that the 
     Government of Venezuela has returned to a democratic form of 
     government with respect for the essential elements of 
     representative democracy as set forth in Article 3 of the 
     Inter-American Democratic Charter.
       (e) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``Venezuelan 
     security forces'' includes the following:
       (1) The Bolivarian National Armed Forces, including the 
     Bolivarian National Guard.
       (2) The Bolivarian National Intelligence Service.
       (3) The Bolivarian National Police.
       (4) The Bureau for Scientific, Criminal and Forensic 
     Investigations of the Ministry of Interior, Justice, and 
     Peace.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Malinowski) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rooney) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I ask that all Members have 5 
legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on H.R. 1477, the Russian-Venezuelan 
Threat Mitigation Act, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1477.
  I thank Ms. Wasserman Schultz for authoring this bipartisan bill, and 
I am proud to bring it to the floor. I appreciate the Congresswoman's 
tireless leadership on Venezuela day in and day out, particularly at 
such a difficult moment for that country.
  Ms. Wasserman Schultz has the largest Venezuelan American 
constituency in the country and works nonstop on behalf of her 
constituents in supporting the Venezuelan people.
  Russia's unwavering commitment to Nicolas Maduro should not come as a 
surprise to any of us. This is part of Putin's larger aspirations for 
global reach and influence and Putin knows the importance of having a 
loyal Russian ally in South America.
  In recent years, Russia has increased its support for the Venezuelan 
security forces. Just a few months ago, Russia sent two nuclear capable 
bombers to Venezuela for a training exercise.
  Just yesterday, two Russian military aircraft landed near Caracas 
reportedly carrying 100 Russian troops.
  This legislation responds to the increasing security relationship 
between the Maduro regime and the Kremlin. Specifically, it requires 
the State Department to provide a threat assessment of Russian 
influence in Venezuela and its impact on the United States and our 
allies in the region and a strategy for the United States to counter 
this threat. It also requires the President to monitor the risk of any 
foreign acquisition of CITGO assets in the United States.
  Finally, it puts into place visa bans on individuals working on 
behalf of the Russian Government in direct support of the Venezuelan 
security forces. In short, this legislation takes a crucial step in 
restricting Maduro's access to financial, political, and military 
support from Vladimir Putin.
  Congress must pass this legislation to continue to squeeze Nicolas 
Maduro and his repressive regime.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                   Washington, DC, March 14, 2019.
     Hon. Jerrold Nadler,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H.R. 
     1477, Russian-Venezuelan Threat Mitigation Act.

[[Page H2783]]

       I appreciate your willingness to work cooperatively on this 
     legislation. I recognize that the bill contains provisions 
     that fall within the jurisdiction of the Committee on the 
     Judiciary. I acknowledge that the Committee will not seek a 
     referral of or formally consider H.R. 1477 and agree that the 
     inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill does not 
     waive any future jurisdictional claim over the matters 
     contained in H.R. 1477 which fall within your Committee's 
     Rule X jurisdiction.
       I will ensure that our exchange of letters is included in 
     the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the 
     bill. I appreciate your cooperation regarding this 
     legislation and look forward to continuing to work with you 
     as this measure moves through the legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Eliot L. Engel,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                   Washington, DC, March 20, 2019.
     Hon. Eliot L. Engel,
     Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs,
     House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: This is to advise you that the Committee 
     on the Judiciary has now had an opportunity to review the 
     provisions in H.R. 1477, the ``Russian-Venezuelan Threat 
     Mitigation Act of 2019,'' that fall within our Rule X 
     jurisdiction. I appreciate your consulting with us on those 
     provisions. The Judiciary Committee has no objection to your 
     including them in the bill for consideration on the House 
     floor, and to expedite that consideration is willing to waive 
     sequential referral, with the understanding that we do not 
     thereby waive any future jurisdictional claim over those 
     provisions or their subject matters.
       In the event a House-Senate conference on this or similar 
     legislation is convened, the Judiciary Committee reserves the 
     right to request an appropriate number of conferees to 
     address any concerns with these or similar provisions that 
     may arise in conference.
       Please place this letter into the Congressional Record 
     during consideration of the measure on the House floor. Thank 
     you for the cooperative spirit in which you have worked 
     regarding this matter and others between our committees.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Jerrold Nadler,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Russian-Venezuelan Threat 
Mitigation Act introduced by our colleagues from Florida, Congresswoman 
Wasserman Schultz and Congressman Diaz-Balart. I also want to thank 
Congressman Malinowski for his leadership in bringing this to the floor 
right now.
  I am also deeply concerned about Russia's continued support for the 
Socialist and criminal dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro and the threat 
that this relationship poses to the national security of the United 
States and the rest of the countries in the Western Hemisphere.
  Russia has invested over $16 billion in Venezuela and has provided 
billions in military equipment to that murderous regime.
  In December of last year Russia sent two nuclear-capable bombers to 
conduct joint exercises with the Venezuelan military. In January of 
this year, he sent mercenaries to help protect Maduro--this is Mr. 
Putin doing that. Just this last weekend, as Congressman Malinowski 
referred to, we saw a report of about 100 additional Russian troops 
landing in Venezuela.
  Russia continues to finance the regime through billions of dollars in 
investments and is directly aiding the Maduro regime's efforts to 
bypass U.S. sanctions. There is also a great concern over the potential 
acquisition of a U.S.-based oil company, CITGO, which has refineries in 
Corpus Christi and Lake Charles by the Russian oil company, Rosneft, 
which has a collateral position of about half of its equity.
  The bill requires that the State Department provide Congress with an 
assessment of the threat that the Russia-Venezuela relationship poses 
to U.S. national security and a strategy to combat that threat.
  The bill also requires the specific assessment of the threat posed by 
a potential acquisition of the oil infrastructure I referred to, CITGO, 
by their debtor, Russian state oil company Rosneft.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I urge all of our colleagues to 
join us in standing against Russia's continued support for the Maduro 
regime and the threat it poses to U.S. national security.
  I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1915

  Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), the author of this bill.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New 
Jersey for yielding and for his leadership on the Foreign Affairs 
Committee. His expertise, having been elected to Congress in November, 
is welcomed.
  It is really wonderful to be able to join him on the floor of the 
House of Representatives to make sure that we continue to voice our 
support for democracy to be restored in Venezuela and mitigate the 
threat that Maduro's regime poses to all of us in the Western 
Hemisphere.
  I also extend my thanks to Mr. Engel, the chairman of the Foreign 
Affairs Committee, and Mr. McCaul, the ranking member, both of whom 
have really come together with the bills that were adopted earlier, and 
with this one, to make sure that it is demonstrated very clearly that 
there is no daylight in the United States when it comes to the issue of 
making sure that we can restore democracy to Venezuela.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of Venezuela are suffering right now under 
the rule of a brutal despot, Nicolas Maduro. The widespread starvation, 
economic devastation, and public health crisis he has inflicted on his 
own people has been absolutely heartbreaking to witness. I saw this 
tragedy up close when my colleague, Representative Donna Shalala, and I 
traveled to the Colombian-Venezuelan border earlier this month.
  The stories we heard and what we saw was gut-wrenching: easily 
avoidable medical tragedies; blockaded humanitarian aid; and because of 
a lack of access to vaccines, the rampant spread of disease cured long 
ago. We witnessed these tragic realities firsthand.
  I also hear these horrific experiences from my own friends and 
neighbors when I return to my hometown of Weston, affectionately known 
in south Florida and around the world, quite frankly, as Westonzuela.
  It is no surprise that this cruel regime has very few friends. Not 
surprisingly, one of them is the Kremlin. That is why the Russia-
Venezuelan Threat Mitigation Act is so urgently needed. This bill would 
require the State Department to provide a crucial threat assessment of 
Russia's influence in Venezuela.
  Just this weekend, we saw media reports that more Russian military 
officials continue to arrive in Venezuela. According to the latest 
reports, planes brought in Russian cargo, advisers, and officials to 
train the same Venezuelan military apparatus that is keeping Maduro in 
power. This is just the latest attempt in a long-running push by 
Vladimir Putin to prop up this brutal autocrat.
  In December, the Russian Federation sent two Tu-160 nuclear-capable 
bombers to Venezuela for joint exercises. The Tu-160 can carry 
conventional or nuclear-tipped cruise missiles with an estimated 
maximum range of around 3,000 miles. That same month, Russian and 
Venezuelan forces took part in a joint 10-hour exercise across the 
Caribbean with these Tu-160 nuclear-capable bombers.
  This menacing Kremlin influence creates not only a hurdle to 
restoring a functioning, legitimate democracy to the people of 
Venezuela, but it also poses an imminent military threat to the entire 
Western Hemisphere. We not only need a detailed assessment of what kind 
of threat this poses but a strategy for dealing with it. Under this 
bill, the State Department would be required to deliver both essential 
diplomatic tools to Congress.
  Our goal, regardless of party, is to allow for the peaceful 
transition to Venezuela's rightful leader, interim President Juan 
Guaido, and for the peaceful execution of free and fair elections. That 
will not happen soon enough, so long as Putin troops are helping prop 
up Maduro's bloody regime.
  Another invaluable crutch the Kremlin has handed Maduro is pipelined 
through the embattled nation's oil supply. As his people suffer and 
protest all around him, Maduro survives inside an oil-soaked cocoon 
that the Russian Federation provides to his regime.

[[Page H2784]]

  Maduro secures these lifeline loans by promising to repay the 
Russians with future oil exports. But amid Venezuela's economic crisis, 
Maduro, not surprisingly, fell behind on those payments, reports 
indicate, beginning in 2017. News reports suggest that the Russian 
state oil company Rosneft lent the Venezuelan state oil company 
billions of dollars, partly as a prepayment for its crude oil.
  Those oily tentacles are another reason why the Russia-Venezuelan 
Threat Mitigation Act is so vital. This bill would also require the 
President to give Congress an assessment of the security risks posed by 
any potential Russian acquisition of the U.S. energy infrastructure 
holdings of CITGO, which is owned by Venezuela. By monitoring the CITGO 
acquisition risks, we monitor one of Maduro's vital veins of 
sustenance.
  Finally, what this bill would also do is allow the United States to 
use the diplomatic tools of travel to discourage further Russian-
Venezuelan military entanglements. It would block travel to the United 
States by anyone who is acting or has acted on behalf of the Russian 
Government in direct support of the Venezuelan security forces.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 2 minutes to the 
gentlewoman from Florida.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, except in rare circumstances, 
this bill would allow for a ban and immediate revocation of visas from 
anyone working on behalf of the Russian Government to directly bolster 
the Venezuelan security forces.
  Right now, the people of Venezuela are enduring an unimaginable 
onslaught of hunger, preventable medical dangers, and dire escalating 
economic pain. We cannot stand idly by while Putin assists Maduro in 
carrying out this inhumane and barbaric tragedy.
  The Russian-Venezuelan Threat Mitigation Act will make it harder for 
the Kremlin to outfit Maduro with weapons of oppression. This bill will 
also allow the United States to monitor and minimize the threat that 
Russia poses to the entire region.

  Restoring democracy to Venezuela will not happen overnight. No single 
action alone could bring it about. But combined with the strong 
humanitarian aid and military export bills my colleagues have crafted 
that have passed on the floor tonight, the Russian-Venezuelan Threat 
Mitigation Act will provide part of the comprehensive solution this 
all-encompassing tragedy needs.
  The Venezuelan people, including my friends and neighbors back home, 
desperately need this relief.
  Mr. Speaker, I have heard real stories of neighbors and friends 
standing in front of me, describing the Maduro regime's confiscation of 
their businesses, just coming in one day and taking over everything. 
They have wrought devastation across that land. Venezuela was once a 
vibrant, rich, successful democracy that he has driven into the ground 
for his own enrichment.
  We can help bring this to an end through bills like the Russian-
Venezuelan Threat Mitigation Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for their support of this critical 
legislation.
  Mr. ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would once again like to thank my 
colleagues for the three bipartisan bills on Venezuela that have been 
considered by this House today.
  This is one issue where all Members of Congress, regardless of party 
or background, should stand together with the people of Venezuela and 
support interim President Guaido's efforts to bring free and fair 
elections to the country.
  The criminal socialist dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro has driven 
Venezuela to ruin. He is clinging to power by repressing the people of 
Venezuela while surrounding himself with foreign forces from Cuba and 
Russia.
  Millions of Venezuelans have fled the dangerous and deteriorating 
circumstances at home, as Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz mentioned 
about Weston. We also know about other places in west Miami where the 
Venezuelans, fortunately, are adding value to our economy now.
  They have created burdens and instability far beyond Venezuela's 
border. The average Venezuelan has lost 20 kilos in the last 2 years. 
These people are starving to death under a repression that hasn't been 
seen since Ceausescu's Romania or Stalin's Russia.
  Congress should support the administration's efforts to bring 
democracy and prosperity back to Venezuela, and these bills demonstrate 
our support for the values of freedom and liberty that the Venezuelan 
people desire and deserve.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support H.R. 1477, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. MALINOWSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume for the purpose of closing.
  Mr. Speaker, I would once again like to thank Ms. Wasserman Schultz 
for authoring this important legislation and for her leadership on 
behalf of the Venezuelan people.
  As we all know, Vladimir Putin is seeking to expand Russia's 
nefarious influence in many parts of the world, always against 
democracy, always in opposition to the idea that ordinary people have 
the right to stand up for human rights and against corruption, 
including in Venezuela.
  This is the struggle of our time. This legislation makes it clear 
that we stand united with our allies in Latin America and across the 
world in rejecting the Kremlin's support for the corrupt Maduro regime.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Malinowski) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1477, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________