[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.

                          ____________________