[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 115 (Thursday, July 11, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5025-S5026]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2748. Mr. CRUZ (for himself, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mr. Barrasso, 
and Mr. Rubio) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to 
the bill S. 4638, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2025 for 
military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle F of title XII, add the following:

     SEC. 1291. VENEZUELA RESTORATION FUND.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established in the United 
     States Treasury a fund, to be known as the ``Venezuela 
     Restoration Fund'', which shall consist of amounts deposited 
     in the Fund under subsection (c).
       (b) Uses.--Amounts in the Fund--
       (1) shall be available to the Secretary of State only for 
     the purposes described in paragraph (2), without fiscal year 
     limitation or need for subsequent appropriation;

[[Page S5026]]

       (2) shall be used only for the purposes of--
       (A) strengthening democratic governance and institutions, 
     including the democratically elected National Assembly of 
     Venezuela;
       (B) defending internationally recognized human rights for 
     the people of Venezuela, including support for efforts to 
     document crimes against humanity and violations of human 
     rights;
       (C) supporting the efforts of independent media outlets to 
     broadcast, distribute, and share information beyond the 
     limited channels made available by the Maduro regime; and
       (D) combatting corruption and improving the transparency 
     and accountability of institutions that are part of the 
     Maduro regime;
       (3) may support governmental and nongovernmental parties in 
     advancing the purposes described in paragraph (2); and
       (4) shall be allocated in a manner complementary to 
     existing United States foreign assistance, diplomacy, and 
     anti-corruption activities.
       (c) Funding.--Beginning on or after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act, notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, in the case of any funds or assets forfeited to the 
     United States by an individual or entity connected to the 
     regimes of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, the 
     funds or assets will be deposited in the Venezuela 
     Restoration Fund established under subsection (a).
       (d) Reporting.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act and not less frequently than annually 
     thereafter, the Secretary of State shall submit a report to 
     the appropriate congressional committees that includes--
       (1) an accounting of the amount and sources of funds that 
     have been deposited into the Venezuela Restoration Fund; and
       (2) a summary of the obligation, amounts, and expenditure 
     of such funds.
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