[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H142-H143]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               VENEZUELA

  (Mr. Espaillat of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. ESPAILLAT. Mr. Speaker, let us make two things clear today, the

[[Page H143]]

things that I think are eminently important and that perhaps could find 
consensus in this Chamber on both sides of the aisle. In fact, I 
believe even most countries across the world would agree with those two 
things, maybe even the United Nations and the Organization of American 
States could agree with that, and I am confident even the Vatican could 
agree with that, and that is that Nicholas Maduro was not the 
legitimate president of Venezuela. The Venezuelan people were neither 
free nor prosperous during his corrupt regime.

                              {time}  1100

  Here is another truth, Mr. Speaker, that in no way conflicts with 
this first one: The President of the United States must come to 
Congress before ordering a military engagement against any country.
  Mr. Speaker, you cannot uphold the rule of law by breaking it. You 
cannot protect or abide by the Constitution by assaulting it.
  Again, so there is no confusion between these two positions, Nicolas 
Maduro was not a legitimate President, and unauthorized military action 
is illegal without the consent of Congress.
  With Nicolas Maduro now in the rearview mirror, we must look forward 
and craft policies that support a free and democratic future for 
Venezuela and policies that return war powers to the United States 
Congress, as enshrined in the United States Constitution.
  That is why I and the executive board of the Congressional Hispanic 
Caucus will propose a forward-looking framework for a democratic and 
stable Venezuela. As members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, we 
come from different nations in Latin America and the Caribbean. We are 
immigrants, like myself. Many of the members also have ancestors who 
settled in places in these United States before the United States even 
existed, and everywhere in between. We share, like most Americans with 
roots from all over the world, a special connection to Latin America 
and the Caribbean. Hence, we have crafted a series of recommendations, 
a roadmap if you will, for democracy and prosperity for the people of 
Venezuela.
  Our first priorities will support a free and democratic Venezuela. 
That means rejecting authoritarian governance, whether the orders come 
from the Miraflores Palace or the White House.
  The Venezuelan people deserve institutions that are accountable, 
transparent, and responsible to the world and a restoration of 
democracy through timely and legitimate elections that reflect the 
voices of the Venezuelan people themselves.
  This is not just about the Venezuelan people. This is ultimately also 
about the American people, and the American people deserve a government 
that preserves, protects, and even respects our own rule of law, our 
own Constitution.
  That is why we reject any further U.S. military intervention without 
congressional authorization. If we are together, as a nation, to put 
our men and women in uniform at risk, then our Constitution wisely 
demands that the decisions be made by the Representatives of those 
people. It may well be that Congress will have voted for or against an 
intervention, but, ultimately, it is Congress that should do it.
  Now that we are so deeply involved with Venezuela, we must act 
according to our principles. That means ensuring humanitarian 
protections at home and abroad for the Venezuelan people who have been 
victims of tyranny for so long.
  At home, that includes extending TPS. We cannot deport people to a 
nation where our actions have set off a new wave of oppression.
  In Venezuela, that means pushing for an end to that repression. It 
means the release of political prisoners, including journalists and 
civil society leaders. It means freedom of expression and freedom of 
the press. We must also ensure that Venezuela's future is decided by 
Venezuelans.
  Our future is also in balance. Mr. Speaker, we are not a nihilist 
nation. Mr. Speaker, we are a nation of values, principles, and laws. 
We must act as one.

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