Title: Expressing concern and condemnation over the political, economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Condemns the decisions by the Venezuelan Supreme Court on March 28, 2017, and March 29, 2017, stripping the opposition legislators of their parliamentary immunity, seizing power from the National Assembly, and nullifying all legislative actions. Recognizes the decision by such court on April 1, 2017, to restore the opposition legislators' parliamentary immunity and the National Assembly's legislative powers.
Urges the government of Venezuela to heed the calls of the international community to: (1) hold free, fair, and open elections; (2) release all political prisoners, including U.S. citizens; and (3) immediately accept international humanitarian assistance only through nongovernmental organizations. Calls for Organization of American States (OAS) member states to continue all efforts, including the consideration of a potential suspension of Venezuela from the OAS, if such government fails to take such actions.
Encourages the President of the United States to prioritize a resolution of the political, economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, including through bilateral, targeted sanctions against individuals in the Venezuelan government responsible for the deterioration of democratic institutions and the rule of law.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 259 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 259

   Expressing concern and condemnation over the political, economic, 
             social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 6, 2017

Mr. DeSantis (for himself, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. McCaul, Mr. Curbelo of 
 Florida, Mr. Yoho, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Sires, and 
Mr. Smith of New Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing concern and condemnation over the political, economic, 
             social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela.

Whereas there is no separation of powers or independent institutions in 
        Venezuela and President Maduro controls the Presidency, a majority of 
        the municipalities, the Supreme Court, the military leadership, and the 
        leadership of Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA);
Whereas Venezuela's National Electoral Council postponed elections for governors 
        and mayors scheduled for December 2016 and has not set a date to 
        reschedule elections;
Whereas there have been several attempts at dialogue between President Maduro 
        and the opposition over the past year, which have all failed to achieve 
        results;
Whereas a political solution is the way to provide sustainable change for the 
        Venezuelan people, but the dialogues up until now have helped provide 
        Maduro a lifeline while his government is collapsing;
Whereas the Venezuelan government continues to silence its citizens through 
        political arrests, with more than 100 political prisoners currently in 
        jail, including opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez;
Whereas Joshua Holt, a United States citizen, remains imprisoned in Venezuela 
        awaiting a trial, with five postponed hearings to date;
Whereas police and military raids have led to widespread allegations of abuse, 
        including extrajudicial killings, mass arbitrary detentions, torture in 
        prisons, forced evictions, and arbitrary deportations;
Whereas Venezuela is immersed in a deep economic crisis, with the highest 
        inflation in the world and current inflation estimated to top roughly 
        1,600 percent in 2017, according to the International Monetary Fund;
Whereas in July 2016, President Maduro handed over control of the food supply 
        system to the military, which has enabled corruption, fraud, and food 
        trafficking by the military contributing to food shortages, a scarcity 
        of basic goods, and political discrimination in the distribution of food 
        and basic goods;
Whereas deteriorating conditions in health care persist, with the World Health 
        Organization estimating that there are shortages for 75 percent of 
        necessary medications and medical supplies, up from 55 percent in 2014 
        and 67 percent in 2015;
Whereas the country is facing increasing outbreaks of malaria and diphtheria, 
        previously eradicated diseases in Venezuela;
Whereas the country has experienced an increase in emigration, according to 
        multiple press reports, including the Wall Street Journal, New York 
        Times, and Washington Post;
Whereas Venezuela is the leading country for asylum requests to the United 
        States in the world, according to data reported by the U.S. Citizenship 
        and Immigration Services;
Whereas the Government of Venezuela has expanded its powers to regulate media 
        and reduce the number of dissenting media outlets, including CNN en 
        Espanol after CNN broadcasted a report alleging that Vice President 
        Tareck El Aissami was directly linked to passport fraud involving 
        members of Hezbollah;
Whereas, on February 13, 2017, the United States Department of the Treasury's 
        Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Tareck Zaidan El Aissami 
        Maddah as a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker pursuant to the 
        Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act for playing a significant role 
        in international narcotics trafficking and imposed sanctions on Mr. El 
        Aissami and froze his assets in the United States;
Whereas, on March 14, 2017, the Secretary General of the Organization of 
        American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, issued a second report on the 
        crisis in Venezuela following his May 2016 report, documenting an 
        altercation of the Inter-American Democratic Charter by the Government 
        of Venezuela and calling for free, fair, and open elections and the 
        release of political prisoners without delay;
Whereas, on March 23, 2017, fourteen OAS Member States published a joint 
        statement calling for the Government of Venezuela to hold elections, 
        restore the constitutional powers of the National Assembly, and release 
        political prisoners;
Whereas, on March 28, 2017, the OAS Permanent Council agreed by a vote of 20 in 
        favor, 11 against, 2 abstentions, and 1 absent/nonvoting Member States 
        to move forward in discussing the situation in Venezuela;
Whereas, on March 28, 2017, the Supreme Court of Venezuela stripped opposition 
        leaders of the National Assembly of their parliamentary immunity and 
        began to take steps to consider prosecuting them for treason;
Whereas, on March 29, 2017, the Venezuelan Supreme Court seized power from the 
        democratically elected National Assembly and nullified the legislative 
        branch's ability to function;
Whereas, on March 31, 2017, in the first major break of a sitting Venezuelan 
        public official, Venezuelan Attorney General Luisa Ortega Diaz affirmed 
        the Supreme Court's actions ``had broken constitutional order'';
Whereas, on March 31, 2017, Venezuelan citizens took to the streets protesting 
        the Supreme Court's breach of power;
Whereas, on April 1, 2017, during an emergency meeting of the Mercosur 
        countries, the foreign ministers of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and 
        Uruguay released a statement urging the Government of Venezuela to 
        follow its constitution and guarantee ``the effective separation of 
        powers''; and
Whereas, on April 1, 2017, the Supreme Court reversed its earlier decisions 
        taking over the National Assembly's legislative powers and stripping the 
        legislators of their parliamentary immunity: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) condemns the decisions by the Venezuelan Supreme Court 
        on March 28, 2017, and March 29, 2017, stripping the opposition 
        legislators of their parliamentary immunity and seizing power 
        from the National Assembly, nullifying all legislative actions;
            (2) recognizes the decision by the Venezuelan Supreme Court 
        on April 1, 2017, to restore the opposition legislators' 
        parliamentary immunity and the National Assembly's legislative 
        powers;
            (3) urges the Government of Venezuela to heed the calls of 
        the international community to hold free, fair, and open 
        elections, release all political prisoners, including U.S. 
        citizens, and immediately accept international humanitarian 
        assistance only through nongovernmental organizations;
            (4) urges OAS Member States to continue all efforts, 
        including the consideration of a potential suspension of 
        Venezuela from the OAS, if the Government of Venezuela fails to 
        hold free, fair, and open elections and release all political 
        prisoners in a timely manner; and
            (5) encourages the President of the United States to 
        prioritize a resolution of the political, economic, social, and 
        humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, including through bilateral, 
        targeted sanctions against individuals in the Government of 
        Venezuela responsible for the deterioration of democratic 
        institutions and the rule of law in the country.
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