[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 126 (Thursday, July 25, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H7440-H7443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
VENEZUELA TPS ACT OF 2019
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Carson of Indiana). Pursuant to clause
1(c) of rule XIX, further consideration of the bill (H.R. 549) to
designate Venezuela under section 244 of the Immigration and
Nationality Act to permit nationals of Venezuela to be eligible for
temporary protected status under such section, and for other purposes,
will now resume.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
Motion to Recommit
Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the
desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is the gentleman opposed to the bill?
Mr. RESCHENTHALER. I am in its present form.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:
Mr. Reschenthaler moves to recommit the bill H.R. 549 to
the Committee on the Judiciary with instructions to report
the same back to the House forthwith with the following
amendment:
Page 1, line 11, before the comma, insert the following:
``because of the economic, humanitarian, security, and
refugee crisis that is a direct result of years of socialist
policies
[[Page H7441]]
implemented by the regimes of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas
Maduro''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania is recognized for 5 minutes in support of his motion.
Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, the motion to recommit I am offering
today is a very simple one. The motion to recommit inserts language
into this bill that blames Venezuela's economic, humanitarian,
security, and refugee crisis squarely where it belongs, on socialism.
This crisis is a direct result of years of socialist policies
implemented by the authoritative regimes of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas
Maduro. Venezuela should be the wealthiest country in South America.
Indeed, it once was. However, like all socialist regimes, Chavez and
Maduro ripped power from the hands of their people, depriving
Venezuelans of their personal liberties and relegating them to poverty,
death, and despair.
In socialist countries, the government no longer serves the people;
the people serve the government.
Venezuela is currently experiencing, according to The New York Times,
the worst economic collapse outside of war in the last half-century.
The country's economy has shrunk twice as much as the Soviet bloc's
economy did during their collapse.
Venezuelans continue to suffer from shortages of food, medicine, and
simple commodities. Inflation is set to reach 10 million percent this
year.
Ten million percent inflation? Mr. Speaker, that is unthinkable.
Venezuela's economy is so bad and its inflation is so out of control
that, according to Bloomberg, a haircut costs five bananas and two
eggs. It is absolutely ridiculous. This is what it has come to in
Venezuela.
One-tenth of the population has fled the country due to economic
collapse and government repression.
As Margaret Thatcher once said, the problem with socialism is that
eventually you run out of other people's money.
Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, I was fortunate enough to get to the
border of Colombia and Venezuela. In fact, I was with a bipartisan,
bicameral delegation to the border. I talked to refugees about the
conditions from which they fled.
I heard stories of physicians who were performing surgeries with
smartphone lights because the lights in the operating room went off and
on.
I heard stories from family members who said that their other family
members were dying because they couldn't get penicillin for simple
wounds and infections.
I saw a woman crossing a river in a wheelchair because she was
desperately seeking medical attention. It was truly heartbreaking.
To this day, over 3 million Venezuelans have fled for Colombia while
the ruthless Maduro regime blocks humanitarian aid into Venezuela.
Yet, Mr. Speaker, sadly, Members of this very body continue to stand
with Maduro. Mr. Speaker, while Members of this very body stand with
Maduro, they simultaneously refuse to recognize Guaido as the
legitimate President of Venezuela. They continue to blame the United
States for Venezuela's collapse. They align themselves with the
disastrous, inhumane policies of socialism.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to call the crisis in Venezuela for
what it is: the result of unfettered socialism. I ask that they support
this motion to recommit, which won't kill the bill and which won't
delay its adoption.
We must send a strong message; we must send a united message; and we
must send a message to the world that the United States is a beacon of
freedom and hope, that the United States will always fight oppression,
and that the United States will always empower the people.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL. Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to
this motion.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman from Florida is recognized
for 5 minutes.
Ms. MUCARSEL-POWELL. Mr. Speaker, this is an outrageous and truly
insulting amendment meant to do nothing more than to score cheap
political points.
Let's be clear, Republicans are offering this amendment to take a
stand against a socialist dictator, but they plan to vote against this
bill, a bill that does nothing more than protect people from that very
dictator. In other words, Republicans want to say that they support the
Venezuelan people, but they are completely unwilling to do anything for
them.
I have just one thing to say to my Republican colleagues: Venezuelans
don't need your empty words. They need action now.
Let's be clear: Every American opposes dictatorial oppression,
whether it comes from the far left or from the far right. In South
America, we have seen dictators from the right and the left, like
Augusto Pinochet in Chile or Jorge Rafael Videla in Argentina, both of
whom killed and disappeared thousands of their own citizens in pursuit
of rightwing agendas.
During those regimes, we condemned dictators. I hope you remember
those times, Mr. Speaker. We did not use the tragedy of the people to
score cheap political points.
We all oppose dictatorship and tyranny. It is what binds us together
as Americans.
Coming from South America, I understand very well what happens when
we see a dictator rise, when it goes unchecked. Instead of honoring
democratic principles, this amendment uses it as a political weapon to
divide our Nation.
That is bad enough, but it is worse when those who offer the
amendment are also unwilling to help oppressed people who find
themselves in a similar situation to the countless immigrants who came
to Plymouth Rock, Ellis Island, or the Freedom Tower.
Let me ask this: Do you think that oppressed Venezuelans, immigrants
who desperately fled to the United States to seek refuge, prefer that
we vote and waste our time on an empty condemnation or that we pass
meaningful legislation to prevent the administration from deporting
them back to a country suffering one of the worst humanitarian crises
in this hemisphere?
Trump has said that he condemns Maduro and that he supports the
Venezuelan people, but his words are as empty as this Republican motion
before us.
Trump's hypocritical immigration policies have left this House no
other option but to act. We have the opportunity to set aside politics,
like 37 of my Republican colleagues did on Tuesday, and do right by our
Venezuelan brothers and sisters.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on this motion to
recommit.
Let's support our Venezuelan brothers and sisters. ``Apoyemos a
nuestros hermanos venezolanos.''
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the previous question is
ordered on the motion to recommit.
There was no objection.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion to recommit.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Recorded Vote
Mr. RESCHENTHALER. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 9 of rule XX, the Chair
will reduce to 5 minutes the minimum time for any electronic vote on
the question of passage.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 215,
noes 217, not voting 0, as follows:
[Roll No. 513]
AYES--215
Abraham
Aderholt
Allen
Amash
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Axne
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bergman
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Bost
Brady
Brindisi
Brooks (AL)
Brooks (IN)
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Budd
Burchett
Burgess
Byrne
Calvert
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Chabot
Cheney
Cline
Cloud
Cole
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Comer
Conaway
Cook
Crawford
Crenshaw
Crow
Cunningham
Curtis
Davidson (OH)
Davis, Rodney
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Duffy
Duncan
Dunn
Emmer
Estes
Ferguson
Finkenauer
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Flores
Fortenberry
Foxx (NC)
Fulcher
Gaetz
[[Page H7442]]
Gallagher
Gianforte
Gibbs
Gohmert
Golden
Gonzalez (OH)
Gooden
Gosar
Gottheimer
Granger
Graves (GA)
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hagedorn
Harris
Hartzler
Hern, Kevin
Herrera Beutler
Hice (GA)
Higgins (LA)
Hill (AR)
Holding
Hollingsworth
Horn, Kendra S.
Hudson
Huizenga
Hunter
Hurd (TX)
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Katko
Keller
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kim
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kinzinger
Kustoff (TN)
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Latta
Lesko
Long
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Marchant
Marshall
Massie
Mast
McCarthy
McCaul
McClintock
McHenry
McKinley
Meadows
Meuser
Miller
Mitchell
Moolenaar
Mooney (WV)
Mullin
Murphy
Newhouse
Norman
Nunes
Olson
Palazzo
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Peterson
Porter
Posey
Ratcliffe
Reed
Reschenthaler
Rice (SC)
Riggleman
Roby
Rodgers (WA)
Roe, David P.
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rooney (FL)
Rose (NY)
Rose, John W.
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sensenbrenner
Sherrill
Shimkus
Simpson
Slotkin
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spanberger
Spano
Stauber
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Stivers
Taylor
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Timmons
Tipton
Turner
Upton
Van Drew
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walker
Walorski
Waltz
Watkins
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Womack
Woodall
Wright
Yoho
Young
Zeldin
NOES--217
Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brown (MD)
Brownley (CA)
Bustos
Butterfield
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson (IN)
Cartwright
Case
Casten (IL)
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chu, Judy
Cicilline
Cisneros
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Cooper
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Cox (CA)
Craig
Crist
Cuellar
Cummings
Davids (KS)
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny K.
Dean
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Delgado
Demings
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Engel
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Fletcher
Foster
Frankel
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Gomez
Gonzalez (TX)
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Haaland
Harder (CA)
Hastings
Hayes
Heck
Higgins (NY)
Hill (CA)
Himes
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Huffman
Jackson Lee
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (TX)
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kind
Kirkpatrick
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster (NH)
Lamb
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawrence
Lawson (FL)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Levin (CA)
Levin (MI)
Lewis
Lieu, Ted
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lujan
Luria
Lynch
Malinowski
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Maloney, Sean
Matsui
McAdams
McBath
McCollum
McEachin
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Moore
Morelle
Moulton
Mucarsel-Powell
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Norcross
O'Halleran
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Perlmutter
Peters
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Pressley
Price (NC)
Quigley
Raskin
Rice (NY)
Richmond
Rouda
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell (AL)
Shalala
Sherman
Sires
Smith (WA)
Soto
Speier
Stanton
Stevens
Suozzi
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres Small (NM)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wexton
Wild
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
{time} 1744
So the motion to recommit was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the passage of the bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Recorded Vote
Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 272,
noes 158, not voting 2, as follows:
[Roll No. 514]
AYES--272
Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Amash
Axne
Bacon
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bost
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brindisi
Brown (MD)
Brownley (CA)
Bustos
Butterfield
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson (IN)
Cartwright
Case
Casten (IL)
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Chu, Judy
Cicilline
Cisneros
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Cole
Connolly
Cooper
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Cox (CA)
Craig
Crenshaw
Crist
Crow
Cuellar
Cummings
Cunningham
Curtis
Davids (KS)
Davis (CA)
Davis, Danny K.
Dean
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Delgado
Demings
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Diaz-Balart
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Duffy
Engel
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Finkenauer
Fitzpatrick
Fletcher
Fortenberry
Foster
Frankel
Fudge
Gabbard
Gallagher
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Golden
Gomez
Gonzalez (OH)
Gonzalez (TX)
Gottheimer
Graves (GA)
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Haaland
Harder (CA)
Hartzler
Hastings
Hayes
Heck
Herrera Beutler
Higgins (LA)
Higgins (NY)
Hill (AR)
Hill (CA)
Himes
Horn, Kendra S.
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Huffman
Hurd (TX)
Jackson Lee
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (TX)
Joyce (OH)
Kaptur
Katko
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Kennedy
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim
Kind
King (NY)
Kinzinger
Kirkpatrick
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster (NH)
Lamb
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawrence
Lawson (FL)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Levin (CA)
Levin (MI)
Lewis
Lieu, Ted
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Lowey
Lujan
Luria
Lynch
Malinowski
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Maloney, Sean
Mast
Matsui
McAdams
McBath
McCaul
McCollum
McEachin
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Moore
Morelle
Moulton
Mucarsel-Powell
Murphy
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Norcross
O'Halleran
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Perlmutter
Peters
Peterson
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Price (NC)
Quigley
Raskin
Reed
Rice (NY)
Richmond
Rodgers (WA)
Rooney (FL)
Rose (NY)
Rouda
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, Austin
Scott, David
Serrano
Sewell (AL)
Shalala
Sherman
Sherrill
Shimkus
Sires
Slotkin
Smith (NJ)
Smith (WA)
Soto
Spanberger
Spano
Speier
Stanton
Stefanik
Steil
Stevens
Stivers
Suozzi
Swalwell (CA)
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Titus
Tlaib
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres Small (NM)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Van Drew
Vargas
Veasey
Vela
Velazquez
Visclosky
Waltz
Wasserman Schultz
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wexton
Wild
Wilson (FL)
Womack
Woodall
Yarmuth
Yoho
Young
NOES--158
Abraham
Aderholt
Allen
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bergman
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Brady
Brooks (AL)
Brooks (IN)
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Budd
Burchett
Burgess
Byrne
Calvert
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Chabot
Cheney
Cline
Cloud
Collins (GA)
Collins (NY)
Comer
Conaway
Cook
Crawford
Davidson (OH)
Davis, Rodney
DesJarlais
Duncan
Dunn
Emmer
Estes
Ferguson
Fleischmann
Flores
Foxx (NC)
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gianforte
Gibbs
Gohmert
Gooden
Gosar
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Griffith
Grothman
Guest
Guthrie
Hagedorn
Harris
Hern, Kevin
Hice (GA)
Holding
Hollingsworth
Hudson
Huizenga
Hunter
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (PA)
Keller
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
King (IA)
Kustoff (TN)
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Latta
Lesko
Long
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Marchant
Marshall
Massie
McCarthy
McClintock
McHenry
McKinley
Meadows
Meuser
Miller
Mitchell
Moolenaar
Mooney (WV)
Mullin
Newhouse
Norman
Nunes
Olson
Palazzo
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Posey
Ratcliffe
Reschenthaler
Rice (SC)
Riggleman
Roby
Roe, David P.
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rose, John W.
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Scalise
Schweikert
Sensenbrenner
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smucker
Stauber
Steube
Stewart
Taylor
Thornberry
Timmons
Tipton
[[Page H7443]]
Turner
Upton
Wagner
Walberg
Walden
Walker
Walorski
Watkins
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wright
Zeldin
NOT VOTING--2
Ryan
Waters
{time} 1759
So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________