[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 17485-17489]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




    VENEZUELA DEFENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ACT OF 2014

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (S. 2142) to impose targeted
sanctions on persons responsible for violations of human rights of 
antigovernment protesters in Venezuela, to strengthen civil society in 
Venezuela, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2142

       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 ``Venezuela Defense of Human 
     Rights and Civil Society Act of 2014''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The Central Bank of Venezuela and the National 
     Statistical Institute of Venezuela stated that the annual 
     inflation rate in Venezuela in 2013 was 56.30, the highest 
     level of inflation in the Western Hemisphere and the third 
     highest level of inflation in the world behind South Sudan 
     and Syria.
       (2) The Central Bank of Venezuela and the Government of 
     Venezuela have imposed a series of currency controls that has 
     exacerbated economic problems and, according to the World 
     Economic Forum, has become the most problematic factor for 
     doing business in Venezuela.
       (3) The Central Bank of Venezuela declared that the 
     scarcity index of Venezuela reached 29.4 percent in March 
     2014, which signifies that fewer than one in 4 basic goods is 
     unavailable at any given time. The Central Bank has not 
     released any information on the scarcity index since that 
     time.
       (4) Since 1999, violent crime in Venezuela has risen 
     sharply and the Venezuelan Violence Observatory, an 
     independent nongovernmental organization, found the national 
     per capita murder rate to be 79 per 100,000 people in 2013.
       (5) The international nongovernmental organization Human 
     Rights Watch recently stated, ``Under the leadership of 
     President Chavez and now President Maduro, the accumulation 
     of power in the executive branch and the erosion of human 
     rights guarantees have enabled the government to intimidate, 
     censor, and prosecute its critics.''.
       (6) The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013 
     of the Department of State maintained that in Venezuela ``the 
     government did not respect judicial independence or permit 
     judges to act according to the law without fear of 
     retaliation'' and ``the government used the judiciary to 
     intimidate and selectively prosecute political, union, 
     business, and civil society leaders who were critical of 
     government policies or actions''.
       (7) The Government of Venezuela has detained foreign 
     journalists and threatened and expelled international media 
     outlets operating in Venezuela, and the international 
     nongovernmental organization Freedom House declared that 
     Venezuela's ``media climate is permeated by intimidation, 
     sometimes including physical attacks, and strong antimedia 
     rhetoric by the government is common''.
       (8) Since February 4, 2014, the Government of Venezuela has 
     responded to antigovernment protests with violence and 
     killings perpetrated by its public security forces.
       (9) In May 2014, Human Rights Watch found that the unlawful 
     use of force perpetrated against antigovernment protesters 
     was ``part of a systematic practice by the Venezuelan 
     security forces''.
       (10) As of September 1, 2014, 41 people had been killed, 
     approximately 3,000 had been arrested unjustly, and more than 
     150 remained in prison and faced criminal charges as a result 
     of antigovernment demonstrations throughout Venezuela.
       (11) Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was arrested on 
     February 18, 2014, in relation to the protests and was 
     unjustly charged with criminal incitement, conspiracy, arson, 
     and property damage. Since his arrest, Lopez has been held in 
     solitary confinement and has been denied 58 out of 60 of his 
     proposed witnesses at his ongoing trial.
       (12) As of September 1, 2014, not a single member of the 
     public security forces of the Government of Venezuela had 
     been held accountable for acts of violence perpetrated 
     against antigovernment protesters.

     SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING ANTIGOVERNMENT PROTESTS 
                   IN VENEZUELA AND THE NEED TO PREVENT FURTHER 
                   VIOLENCE IN VENEZUELA.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the United States aspires to a mutually beneficial 
     relationship with Venezuela based on respect for human rights 
     and the rule of law and a functional and productive 
     relationship on issues of public security, including 
     counternarcotics and counterterrorism;
       (2) the United States supports the people of Venezuela in 
     their efforts to realize their full economic potential and to 
     advance representative democracy, human rights, and the rule 
     of law within their country;
       (3) the chronic mismanagement by the Government of 
     Venezuela of its economy has produced conditions of economic 
     hardship and scarcity of basic goods and foodstuffs for the 
     people of Venezuela;
       (4) the failure of the Government of Venezuela to guarantee 
     minimal standards of public security for its citizens has led 
     the country to become one of the most violent and corrupt in 
     the world;
       (5) the Government of Venezuela continues to take steps to 
     remove checks and balances on the executive, politicize the 
     judiciary, undermine the independence of the legislature 
     through use of executive decree powers, persecute and 
     prosecute its political opponents,

[[Page 17486]]

     curtail freedom of the press, and limit the free expression 
     of its citizens;
       (6) Venezuelans, responding to ongoing economic hardship, 
     high levels of crime and violence, and the lack of basic 
     political rights and individual freedoms, have turned out in 
     demonstrations in Caracas and throughout the country to 
     protest the failure of the Government of Venezuela to protect 
     the political and economic well-being of its citizens; and
       (7) the repeated use of violence perpetrated by the 
     National Guard and security personnel of Venezuela, as well 
     as persons acting on behalf of the Government of Venezuela, 
     against antigovernment protesters that began on February 4, 
     2014, is intolerable and the use of unprovoked violence by 
     protesters is also a matter of serious concern.

     SEC. 4. UNITED STATES POLICY TOWARD VENEZUELA.

       It is the policy of the United States--
       (1) to support the people of Venezuela in their aspiration 
     to live under conditions of peace and representative 
     democracy as defined by the Inter-American Democratic Charter 
     of the Organization of American States;
       (2) to work in concert with the other member states within 
     the Organization of American States, as well as the countries 
     of the European Union, to ensure the peaceful resolution of 
     the current situation in Venezuela and the immediate 
     cessation of violence against antigovernment protestors;
       (3) to hold accountable government and security officials 
     in Venezuela responsible for or complicit in the use of force 
     in relation to antigovernment protests and similar future 
     acts of violence; and
       (4) to continue to support the development of democratic 
     political processes and independent civil society in 
     Venezuela.

     SEC. 5. SANCTIONS ON PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR VIOLENCE IN 
                   VENEZUELA.

       (a) In General.--The President shall impose the sanctions 
     described in subsection (b) with respect to any foreign 
     person, including any current or former official of the 
     Government of Venezuela or any person acting on behalf of 
     that Government, that the President determines--
       (1) has perpetrated, or is responsible for ordering or 
     otherwise directing, significant acts of violence or serious 
     human rights abuses in Venezuela against persons associated 
     with the antigovernment protests in Venezuela that began on 
     February 4, 2014;
       (2) has ordered or otherwise directed the arrest or 
     prosecution of a person in Venezuela primarily because of the 
     person's legitimate exercise of freedom of expression or 
     assembly; or
       (3) has knowingly materially assisted, sponsored, or 
     provided significant financial, material, or technological 
     support for, or goods or services in support of, the 
     commission of acts described in paragraph (1) or (2).
       (b) Sanctions Described.--
       (1) In general.--The sanctions described in this subsection 
     are the following:
       (A) Asset blocking.--The exercise of all powers granted to 
     the President by the International Emergency Economic Powers 
     Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) to the extent necessary to block 
     and prohibit all transactions in all property and interests 
     in property of a person determined by the President to be 
     subject to subsection (a) if such property and interests in 
     property are in the United States, come within the United 
     States, or are or come within the possession or control of a 
     United States person.
       (B) Exclusion from the united states and revocation of visa 
     or other documentation.--In the case of an alien determined 
     by the President to be subject to subsection (a), denial of a 
     visa to, and exclusion from the United States of, the alien, 
     and revocation in accordance with section 221(i) of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1201(i)), of any 
     visa or other documentation of the alien.
       (2) Penalties.--A person that violates, attempts to 
     violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of 
     paragraph (1)(A) or any regulation, license, or order issued 
     to carry out paragraph (1)(A) shall be subject to the 
     penalties set forth in subsections (b) and (c) of section 206 
     of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 
     1705) to the same extent as a person that commits an unlawful 
     act described in subsection (a) of that section.
       (3) Exception relating to importation of goods.--The 
     requirement to block and prohibit all transactions in all 
     property and interests in property under paragraph (1)(A) 
     shall not include the authority to impose sanctions on the 
     importation of goods.
       (4) Exception to comply with united nations headquarters 
     agreement.--Sanctions under paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply 
     to an alien if admitting the alien into the United States is 
     necessary to permit the United States to comply with 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 other applicable international obligations.
       (c) Waiver.--The President may waive the application of 
     sanctions under subsection (b) with respect to a person if 
     the President--
       (1) determines that such a waiver is in the national 
     interest of the United States; and
       (2) on or before the date on which the waiver takes effect, 
     submits to the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
     Committee on Banking Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate 
     and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Financial Services of the House of Representatives a notice 
     of and justification for the waiver.
       (d) Regulatory Authority.--The President shall issue such 
     regulations, licenses, and orders as are necessary to carry 
     out this section.
       (e) Termination.--The requirement to impose sanctions under 
     this section shall terminate on December 31, 2016.
       (f) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Admitted; alien.--The terms ``admitted'' and ``alien'' 
     have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of the 
     Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101).
       (2) Financial institution.--The term ``financial 
     institution'' has the meaning given that term in section 5312 
     of title 31, United States Code.
       (3) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means a 
     person that is not a United States person.
       (4) Good.--The term ``good'' has the meaning given that 
     term in section 16 of the Export Administration Act of 1979 
     (50 U.S.C. App. 2415) (as continued in effect pursuant to the 
     International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 
     et seq.)).
       (5) Knowingly.--The term ``knowingly'', with respect to 
     conduct, a circumstance, or a result, means that a person has 
     actual knowledge, or should have known, of the conduct, the 
     circumstance, or the result.
       (6) Materially assisted.--The term ``materially assisted'' 
     means the provision of assistance that is significant and of 
     a kind directly relevant to acts described in paragraph (1) 
     or (2) of subsection (a).
       (7) United states person.--The term ``United States 
     person'' means--
       (A) a United States citizen or an alien lawfully admitted 
     for permanent residence to the United States; or
       (B) an entity organized under the laws of the United States 
     or of any jurisdiction within the United States, including a 
     foreign branch of such an entity.

     SEC. 6. REPORT ON BROADCASTING, INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION, AND 
                   CIRCUMVENTION TECHNOLOGY DISTRIBUTION IN 
                   VENEZUELA.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Chairman of the Broadcasting 
     Board of Governors (in this section referred to as the 
     ``Board'') shall submit to Congress a report that includes--
       (1) a thorough evaluation of the governmental, political, 
     and technological obstacles faced by the people of Venezuela 
     in their efforts to obtain accurate, objective, and 
     comprehensive news and information about domestic and 
     international affairs;
       (2) an assessment of current efforts relating to 
     broadcasting, information distribution, and circumvention 
     technology distribution in Venezuela, by the United States 
     Government and otherwise; and
       (3) a strategy for expanding such efforts in Venezuela, 
     including recommendations for additional measures to expand 
     upon current efforts.
       (b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall 
     include--
       (1) an assessment of the current level of Federal funding 
     dedicated to broadcasting, information distribution, and 
     circumvention technology distribution in Venezuela by the 
     Board before the date of the enactment of this Act;
       (2) an assessment of the extent to which the current level 
     and type of news and related programming and content provided 
     by the Voice of America and other sources is addressing the 
     informational needs of the people of Venezuela; and
       (3) recommendations for increasing broadcasting, 
     information distribution, and circumvention technology 
     distribution in Venezuela.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Vargas) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and to include extraneous material on the bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, it is fitting that today, International Human Rights 
Day, we consider and debate the bill before us: the Venezuela Defense 
of Human Rights and Civil Society Act. The House unanimously passed a 
similar

[[Page 17487]]

measure that I authored and introduced earlier this year, and I urge 
passage of this measure before us presented by Senators Menendez and 
Rubio.
  The people of Venezuela, Mr. Speaker, have been crying out for help. 
They have been begging the United States and all responsible nations to 
help protect them against the tyranny and brutality under the Maduro 
regime, the puppets of the oppressive Castro regime in Cuba. I should 
point out that today, International Human Rights Day, the Castro thugs 
rounded up and imprisoned 52 human rights activists.
  Today, Congress speaks in a unified and bipartisan voice. The human 
rights situation in Venezuela has actually gotten worse under Maduro 
since the death of that other Castro sycophant, Hugo Chavez. In fact, 
since February 12, 2014, also known as National Youth Day in Venezuela, 
the freedom-seeking people of Venezuela have risen up to challenge the 
abuses and undemocratic actions being committed by Nicolas Maduro and 
his lackeys, demanding their most basic and fundamental rights.
  Naturally, oppressors have but one option which they never fail to 
resort to; and Maduro, as we knew he would, responded with a violent 
crackdown against those who had the courage to challenge his 
authoritarian rule.
  Ever since the peaceful demonstrations against the regime began on 
National Youth Day, 42 people have been killed, there have been nearly 
60 reported cases of torture, and 72 students remain jailed to this 
day.
  Pro-democracy leaders have raised their voices against the abuses of 
the regime, and they have been persecuted with politically-motivated 
charges, and those arrested face indescribable cruelty in prison.

                              {time}  1830

  Leopoldo Lopez, one of the faces of the democratic opposition, 
continues to be imprisoned in a military facility. Leopoldo is 
continuously denied visitors, and his legal proceedings, such as they 
are, are plagued with irregularities.
  Daniel Ceballos, the mayor of the city of San Cristobal, was 
impeached and arrested by the Maduro thugs earlier this year. Daniel's 
only crime was to defend his constituents from the repressive abuses of 
the National Guard deployed to violently quash them.
  But these cases, sadly, Mr. Speaker, are not isolated. Earlier this 
year, Maria Corina Machado, a courageous woman and vocal opposition 
leader, came to Washington, D.C., came to the United States to speak in 
front of the Organization of American States on the tragic situation in 
her homeland of Venezuela. The OAS, the Organization of American 
States, is a body that is supposed to uphold and protect the democratic 
charter and human rights in the Americas.
  Maria Corina was blocked by Castro sympathizers, Maduro sympathizers, 
and their cronies, and she was prevented from even addressing this 
body. And when she returned home, what happened to Maria Corina 
Machado? She was illegally stripped of her position in the Venezuelan 
National Assembly because she dared to speak out against the regime and 
in favor of human rights.
  But the problems of Venezuela go beyond these democratic abuses. 
Nicolas Maduro's inability to contain a spiraling hyperinflationary 
economy, marked by shortages of consumer goods, along with a 
skyrocketing crime rate creates a difficult, almost unbearable 
situation for Venezuelans to endure.
  The legislation before us targets Venezuelan officials responsible 
for the perpetration of human rights abuses against the citizens of 
Venezuela. And how do we do that? We deny them visas. We block their 
property. We freeze their assets here in the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, the distress signal sent to us by the people of 
Venezuela did not just start in February. For years, the Venezuelan 
people have been calling out for help, asking us for our assistance, 
for us to do something, anything that will help stop the terrible human 
rights abuses of the authoritarian thug Chavez, and now his Mini-Me, 
Maduro.
  Sadly, our administration has been deafeningly silent, embarrassingly 
silent. It has turned a blind eye to the harsh and brutal reality in 
Venezuela, has been afraid to speak out and take action against Chavez, 
and, until now, has been far too afraid to challenge Maduro.
  But the United States Congress will act, Mr. Speaker. Let's send a 
strong signal tonight--not only to the administration, but to the 
people of Venezuela--that the United States Congress hears, sees, and 
feels their suffering, and we will not allow their anguish to go 
unobstructed.
  The United States cannot ignore its responsibilities, and we must 
answer the calls for freedom, for democracy around the globe. We must 
be the voice for those who are being silenced by their oppressive 
regimes, and we must stand for the values that we believe in--not just 
here at home, but everywhere.
  Mr. Speaker, by passing this bill and sending it to the President's 
desk, we will do just that.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                Washington, DC, December 10, 2014.
     Hon. Bob Goodlatte,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Goodlatte: Thank you for agreeing to forgo a 
     referral request and committee consideration of S. 2142, the 
     Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act of 
     2014, so that the bill may proceed expeditiously to the 
     Floor.
       I agree that your forgoing action on this measure does not 
     in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the 
     Committee on the Judiciary, or prejudice its jurisdictional 
     prerogatives on this bill or similar legislation in the 
     future.
       I will seek to place this letter into the Congressional 
     Record during floor consideration of the bill. I appreciate 
     your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward 
     to continuing to work with the Committee on the Judiciary as 
     this measure moves through the legislative process.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Edward R. Royce,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                 Committee on Foreign Affairs,

                                Washington, DC, December 10, 2014.
     Hon. Jeb Hensarling,
     Chairman, Committee on Financial Services, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Hensarling: Thank you for agreeing to forgo a 
     referral request and committee consideration of S. 2142, the 
     Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act of 
     2014, so that the bill may proceed expeditiously to the 
     Floor.
       I agree that your forgoing action on this measure does not 
     in any way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the 
     Committee on Financial Services, or prejudice its 
     jurisdictional prerogatives on this bill or similar 
     legislation in the future.
       I will seek to place this letter into the Congressional 
     Record during floor consideration of the bill. I appreciate 
     your cooperation regarding this legislation and look forward 
     to continuing to work with the Committee on Financial 
     Services as this measure moves through the legislative 
     process.
           Sincerely,
                                                  Edward R. Royce,
                                                         Chairman.

  Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2142, the Venezuelan 
Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act of 2014, and yield myself 
as much time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking Congresswoman Ros-
Lehtinen--thank you for your leadership on this--and also Senator 
Menendez for his leadership on this legislation. I also want to thank, 
once again, Chairman Royce, who has approached this issue in a 
bipartisan way, as he always does.
  Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen's bill passed the House unanimously in 
May, and I am pleased that we are now ready to send this bill to the 
President's desk.
  The world has watched closely over the last year as Venezuela's 
President Nicolas Maduro has stifled the democratic aspirations of the 
Venezuelan people. Peaceful protesters seeking

[[Page 17488]]

basic rights and dignity have been met with violence. Forty-two people 
were tragically killed and 800 were injured on both sides of the 
conflict. We mourn all of their losses. At the same time, the Maduro 
government has arrested political opponents and stood in the way of a 
free press.
  Nearly 10 minutes after his arrest, opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez 
remains in jail on trumped-up charges. The U.N. Committee Against 
Torture, seven former Latin American Presidents, and the leaders around 
the world have called for Leopoldo's release.
  Last week, Venezuelan opposition leader and former National Assembly 
Deputy Maria Corina Machado was charged for conspiring to assassinate 
President Maduro, another desperate move by a desperate government. 
Maduro's government even considers the U.S. Ambassador to Colombia in 
on this bizarre conspiracy. It would be humorous if it wasn't so sad 
and dangerous.
  The legislation that we are considering today makes it clear that 
Congress will not turn a blind eye to the human rights violations in 
Venezuela. By stripping human rights violators of their visas, we are 
saying that those responsible for abuses in Venezuela are not welcome 
in the United States. By freezing their assets, we are making it clear 
that those who violate human rights in Venezuela won't have access to 
financial institutions in the United States.
  Venezuela's leaders will say this bill is going to hurt the average 
Venezuelan citizen. That is nonsense. These sanctions won't touch the 
oil sector or other vital parts of the Venezuelan economy. They only 
affect those complicit in the recent crackdowns.
  Finally, I will note that this bill gives President Obama needed 
flexibility to respond to events on the ground in Venezuela. Each and 
every sanction in this bill can be waived by the President at any time.
  Let's stand with the people of Venezuela and support the immediate 
passage of S. 2142.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to thank and congratulate the 
vibrant Venezuelan American community in our area in south Florida and, 
indeed, throughout our great Nation for never forgetting the suffering 
of their native lands. They have many family members in Venezuela, and 
they care deeply about what happens in their homeland.
  Now they have adopted America as their homeland and they are proud 
Americans, but they are also very proud of their traditions. It is 
because of their desire to go back to a Venezuela one day--that will be 
free, that will be democratic, that will respect the human rights--that 
we are here today fighting on their behalf. So thanks to our 
constituents for making this day a reality.
  Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz).
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I, too, want to thank my 
colleague and the gentlewoman from south Florida, who has really been a 
passionate advocate and whom I have stood in solidarity with on this 
and so many other issues.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Venezuela Defense of 
Human Rights and Civil Society Act of 2014. I do so as the proud 
representative of Westonzuela, my hometown, and one in which we have an 
incredibly rich and vibrant community of Venezuelans and Venezuelan 
Americans. As the representative of one of the largest communities of 
Venezuelans and Venezuelan Americans in the United States, I am here to 
strongly speak out against the continued, unconscionable abuses of the 
Maduro government against innocent citizens.
  Earlier this year, facing a repressive government and crushing 
economic conditions, thousands of Venezuelans peacefully protested to 
demand their basic human rights and dignity. In response, President 
Maduro and his security forces brutally suppressed their own citizens 
in the streets and used the judiciary to squash voices championing 
freedom of expression and democracy. Although President Maduro has 
tried to further silence these voices by limiting media coverage of the 
ongoing oppression and repression and terrible economic conditions of 
his country, we can still hear the demands for justice and for dignity.
  This bill would impose sanctions on those individuals in Maduro's 
regime who have ordered the arrest or prosecution of anyone exercising 
their right to peacefully assemble or protest, or those who supported 
those actions. Through our action here today, we signify the 
determination of the American people to stand for freedom and 
democracy, and this bill reinforces the sentiments and actions of the 
U.S. Congress and the Obama administration.
  Along with my colleagues, I stand in solidarity with those brave 
Venezuelans continuing to advocate for their rights, including 
opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, who outrageously remains in prison. I 
look forward to this measure's passage and to President Obama's 
signature, and working with the Obama administration and our allies to 
hold these perpetrators of the injustice accountable for their crimes.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  In closing, I would like to emphasize, once again, that today's 
legislation is consistent with our treatment of human rights violators 
throughout the world.
  Will this legislation all of a sudden turn President Maduro and his 
government into great respecters of human rights? None of us are naive 
enough to believe this, but what it will do is it will send a message 
to human rights violators in Venezuela and throughout the world that 
your visas and your assets in U.S. financial institutions are in peril 
if you abuse individuals' human rights.
  I once again urge my colleagues to support the immediate passage of 
S. 2142.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, at this time, I would like to thank our entire south 
Florida congressional delegation. All of us worked together in a 
bipartisan way to get this bill to this moment.
  I would especially like to thank Senator Bob Menendez, the chairman 
of the Foreign Relations Committee, along with our own Florida Senator 
whom we are so proud of, Marco Rubio, for their hard work on this bill 
and, really, for their work on the broader issues of the lack of 
democracy in our hemisphere, the disrespect for human rights, the lack 
of the rule of law.
  Sadly, in our Western Hemisphere, instead of seeing advances of human 
rights and advances of democracy, we have seen a sad erosion in these 
years. We thank all of the Members for always using these esteemed 
floors to talk about our basic values that we share with our 
hemispheric neighbors, and that is respect for human rights, respect 
for democracy, respect for the rule of law, and always to continue to 
do everything we can to make sure that all of our oppressed brothers 
and sisters will live in freedom, the freedom that we enjoy so much.
  I thank very much our chairman of our Foreign Affairs Committee, Mr. 
Royce, for his help and his leadership in this fight.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, S. 2142.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

[[Page 17489]]



                          ____________________