March 25, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 51 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H2767-H2769]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     VENEZUELA ARMS RESTRICTION ACT

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 920) to restrict the transfer of defense articles, defense 
services, and crime control articles to any element of the security 
forces of Venezuela that is under the authority of a government of 
Venezuela that is not recognized as the legitimate government of 
Venezuela by the Government of the United States, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                H.R. 920

       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 Arms Restriction 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. RESTRICTION ON EXPORT OF COVERED ARTICLES AND 
                   SERVICES TO CERTAIN SECURITY FORCES OF 
                   VENEZUELA.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, covered articles or services may not be exported from 
     the United States to any element of the security forces of 
     Venezuela that is under the authority of a government of 
     Venezuela that is not recognized as the legitimate government 
     of Venezuela by the Government of the United States.
       (b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Commerce and the heads of 
     other departments and agencies as appropriate, shall--
       (1) determine, using such information that is available to 
     the Secretary of State, whether any covered article or 
     service has been

[[Page H2768]]

     transferred since July 2017 to the security forces of 
     Venezuela without a license or other authorization as 
     required by law; and
       (2) submit such determination in writing to the appropriate 
     congressional committees.

     SEC. 3. REPORT.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in 
     consultation with the Secretary of Commerce as appropriate, 
     shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
     report on the transfer by foreign persons of covered articles 
     or services to elements of the security forces of Venezuela 
     that are under the authority of a government of Venezuela 
     that is not recognized as the legitimate government of 
     Venezuela by the Government of the United States.
       (b) Matters To Be Included.--The report required by 
     subsection (a) shall include the following:
       (1) A list of all significant transfers by foreign persons 
     of covered articles or services to such elements of the 
     security forces of Venezuela since July 2017.
       (2) A list of all foreign persons who maintain an existing 
     defense relationship with such elements of the security 
     forces of Venezuela.
       (3) Any known use of covered articles or services by such 
     elements of the security forces of Venezuela or associated 
     forces, including paramilitary groups, that have coordinated 
     with such security forces to assault, intimidate, or murder 
     political activists, protesters, dissidents, and other civil 
     society leaders, including Juan Guaido.

     SEC. 4. TERMINATION.

       This Act shall expire on the earlier of--
       (1) the date that is 3 years after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act; or
       (2) the date on which the President certifies to the 
     appropriate congressional committees that the Government of 
     Venezuela has returned to a democratic form of government 
     with respect for the essential elements of representative 
     democracy as set forth in Article 3 of the Inter-American 
     Democratic Charter.

     SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
     ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Financial Services of the House of Representatives; and
       (B) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate.
       (2) Covered article or service.--The term ``covered article 
     or service''--
       (A) for purposes of section 2, means--
       (i) a defense article or defense service, as such terms are 
     defined in section 47 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 
     U.S.C. 2794); and
       (ii) any article included on the Commerce Control List set 
     forth in Supplement No. 1 to part 774 of the Export 
     Administration Regulations under subchapter C of chapter VII 
     of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations, and controlled for 
     crime control purposes, if it is determined that the end-user 
     is likely to use the article to violate the human rights of 
     the citizens of Venezuela; and
       (B) for purposes of section 3, means--
       (i) any defense article or defense service of the type 
     described in section 47 of the Arms Export Control Act; and
       (ii) any article of the type included on the Commerce 
     Control List set forth in Supplement No. 1 to part 774 of the 
     Export Administration Regulations and controlled for crime 
     control purposes.
       (3) Foreign person.--The term ``foreign person'' means a 
     person that is not a United States person.
       (4) Person.--The term ``person'' means an individual or 
     entity.
       (5) Security forces of venezuela.--The term ``security 
     forces of Venezuela'' includes--
       (A) the Bolivarian National Armed Forces, including the 
     Bolivarian National Guard;
       (B) the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service;
       (C) the Bolivarian National Police; and
       (D) the Bureau for Scientific, Criminal and Forensic 
     Investigations of the Ministry of Interior, Justice, and 
     Peace.
       (6) 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.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Sires) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Rooney) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 920, the Venezuela Arms Restriction 
Act, as amended, currently under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Jersey?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 920.
  I would like to begin by thanking Ms. Shalala for her leadership in 
authoring this important piece of legislation. She has been a leading 
voice in supporting the Venezuelan people.
  Sadly, human rights violations in Venezuela are nothing new. In 
recent months, Nicolas Maduro and his cronies have intensified their 
brutal crackdown on those who have bravely and peacefully pushed for 
change.
  With an increasing wave of demonstrations protesting the Maduro 
regime, Congress must do all it can to support efforts by the 
Venezuelan people to restore its democracy. This means making sure that 
weapons from the United States aren't being used to commit these 
horrific acts of violence against civilians. U.S. companies and 
individuals should not be able to profit from the repression of the 
Venezuelan people.
  H.R. 920 codifies existing restrictions on arms exports to 
Venezuela's security forces and adds new restrictions on items like 
tear gas and riot gear that have been used to suppress peaceful 
protestors.
  As the protests continue, you can be sure that the Maduro regime will 
do everything it can to silence the Venezuelan people; so Congress must 
do everything in its power to keep these dangerous items out of the 
hands of the Venezuelan security forces.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Venezuela Arms 
Restriction Act introduced by my colleagues from Florida, Congresswoman 
Shalala and Congressman Diaz-Balart, to whom we are deeply grateful. I 
would also like to thank Chairman Sires for his support and leadership 
both of our committee and of this bill.
  The criminal socialist dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro is 
systematically violating the human rights of the Venezuelan people 
through violence, intimidation, torture, and murder. According to local 
NGO Foro Penal, there are more than 850 political prisoners in 
Venezuela today.
  Just last week, Maduro's intelligence services arrested Roberto 
Marrero, the chief of staff for the interim President and 
constitutional leader of Venezuela, Juan Guaido. The regime has made 
ludicrous claims that Marrero was leading a terrorist cell and it 
reportedly planted weapons and cash to try to frame him.
  The Congress and the people of the United States must stand united 
with the people of Venezuela to help ensure that all individuals who 
violate their human rights are held accountable.
  This bill supports these efforts by identifying and holding 
accountable any U.S. entities providing defense articles to Maduro's 
security forces, and it restricts all U.S. sales of defense articles to 
his socialist criminal dictatorship.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in demonstrating our 
commitment to defending the security and human rights of the Venezuelan 
people by supporting this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Shalala), the author of this bill.
  Ms. SHALALA. Mr. Speaker, this evening, Congress will vote on a bill 
I introduced, H.R. 920, the Venezuela Arms Restriction Act. This 
bipartisan bill prohibits the export of defense articles and crime 
control materials from the United States to the security forces of 
Venezuela.
  The United States should have no business selling these tools for 
oppression to the Maduro regime, as it punishes and kills those who are 
peacefully protesting and demanding a return to democracy.
  Since Maduro usurped power in January, we have seen headline after 
headline:
  ``Maduro's Forces Kill, Injure Protestors as Standoff Over Aid in 
Venezuela Escalates'';

[[Page H2769]]

  ``Four Dead, Hundreds Detained After Venezuela Blackout''; and
  ``Venezuela Security Forces Kill, Punish Anti-Maduro Protestors.''
  A few weeks ago, I traveled to the Venezuela-Colombia border, where I 
heard heartbreaking stories of friends and family members dying of 
starvation and treatable diseases, all while a brutal dictator does 
everything possible to prevent aid from being delivered.
  I met with refugees at hospitals in Colombia and heard their 
harrowing stories of being on the verge of death due to a lack of 
medical care. There were a number of high-risk pregnancies as a result.
  This is a humanitarian crisis that has bled through Venezuela's 
borders, and it continues to grow.
  This is personal for us in south Florida, where thousands of 
Venezuelans who have fled the crisis now call home. We will continue to 
push for TPS, because our response to this crisis must include 
supporting our friends and neighbors in south Florida and around the 
country.
  Today, in addition to the Venezuela Arms Restriction Act, we will 
vote on bills introduced by my south Florida colleagues to support the 
people of Venezuela as they demand free and fair elections. We will 
vote on bills to provide humanitarian aid directly to the Venezuelan 
people and a bill targeting Russian influence in Venezuela and its 
impact on the United States.

  Today, Congress will not stand idly by as this humanitarian crisis 
rages on. With the passage of the Venezuela Arms Restriction Act, we 
will move one step closer to fulfilling our obligations to ensure that 
no weapons originating in the United States are used to silence dissent 
through intimidation, repression, and execution. Congress, today, will 
affirm its commitment to the women and men of Venezuela who are 
fighting for democracy and a brighter future.
  Mr. ROONEY of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers.
  In closing, I thank the authors of the bill. Congresswoman Shalala 
just spoke about the depth and breadth of the horrible humanitarian 
crisis that we see on our doorstep in Venezuela. I would like to 
comment that the average Venezuelan has lost over 20 kilos of weight in 
the last 2 years and they haven't had protein, so the whole country is 
starving to death, worse than any Warsaw Pact dictatorship has ever 
done.
  Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank Congressman Diaz-Balart and 
certainly Chairman Sires for their leadership on this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I call on all of my colleagues to enthusiastically 
support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for 
the purpose of closing.
  Mr. Speaker, I again thank Ms. Shalala for her strong and timely 
leadership on this legislation. It shows a strong commitment to the 
Venezuelan people and to our constituents who care so deeply about this 
issue.
  The human rights situation in Venezuela is absolutely deplorable, and 
it is important that we take the commonsense steps in this legislation 
to help end the ongoing repression. Passing this measure will send an 
important message that Congress stands with the Venezuelan people.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Sires) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 920, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________