Title: Humanitarian Assistance to the Venezuelan People Act of 2019
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Humanitarian Assistance to the Venezuelan People Act of 2019
This bill directs the Department of State to report to Congress a long term strategy for providing humanitarian assistance to Venezuelans both in Venezuela and in other parts of the Western Hemisphere. The strategy shall cover topics including how to provide public health commodities, food, and technical assistance. It shall also describe how the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is blocking entry of humanitarian assistance, and how the United States is coordinating efforts with other countries.
The Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress on the impact of U.S. assistance for Venezuelans throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The President shall instruct the U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (U.N.) to convince the U.N. to place the Venezuelan humanitarian and political crisis on its agenda. The Permanent Representative shall also seek a U.N. Presidential Statement and Permanent Resolution urging the Venezuelan government to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 854 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 854

To provide humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people, including 
    Venezuelan migrants and refugees in the Americas and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 29, 2019

Ms. Mucarsel-Powell (for herself, Ms. Shalala, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Ms. 
    Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Soto, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Espaillat, and Ms. 
   Frankel) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people, including 
    Venezuelan migrants and refugees in the Americas and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Humanitarian Assistance to the 
Venezuelan People Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Venezuela is in the grips of unprecedented political 
        and economic turmoil marked by hyperinflation, soaring crime 
        rates, and an authoritarian President.
            (2) President Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor have, 
        through authoritarianism, graft, and incompetence, precipitated 
        a massive humanitarian crisis both inside Venezuela and 
        throughout the Western Hemisphere.
            (3) The Venezuelan gross domestic product is expected to 
        contract for the sixth year in a row in 2019, with the 
        Government defaulting on its external debt and inflation 
        projected to exceed 1 million percent this year.
            (4) Health outcomes in Venezuela have approached critical 
        levels as food, medicine, and services become increasingly 
        inaccessible, with 11.4 percent of children in Venezuela under 
        5 years old suffering from moderate or acute malnutrition.
            (5) Nearly 10 percent of Venezuela's population of 31 
        million have fled overseas, with nearly 90 percent of those 
        remaining living in poverty.
            (6) Venezuelans have lost an average of 19 pounds of weight 
        due to nationwide food shortages since the beginning of the 
        country's economic crisis.
            (7) Venezuela is suffering from an 88 percent medicine 
        shortage, with more than 22,000 doctors leaving Venezuela in 
        the past 4 years.
            (8) The Maduro Government has repeatedly rejected offers of 
        humanitarian assistance, despite the return of once-vanquished 
        diseases like diphtheria and measles, rampant cases of malaria, 
        and the sharp rise in infant and maternal mortality.
            (9) Venezuela's rates of homicide and other crimes have 
        risen dramatically over the course of the crisis, with chronic 
        underreporting contributing to an insufficient understanding of 
        the scope of the crisis.

SEC. 3. REQUIREMENT FOR STRATEGY TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO 
              THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the 
Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
Development, shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of 
the Senate a long-term strategy to provide humanitarian assistance to 
the people of Venezuela both in Venezuela and throughout the Western 
Hemisphere through credible and independent nongovernmental 
organizations operating in Venezuela or in neighboring countries to 
alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people.
    (b) Matters To Be Included.--The strategy required under subsection 
(a) shall include the following:
            (1) A description of how and to what extent the following 
        assistance will be provided:
                    (A) Public health commodities for Venezuelan health 
                facilities and services, including medicines on the 
                World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines 
                and basic medical supplies and equipment.
                    (B) Basic food commodities and nutritional 
                supplements needed to address growing malnutrition and 
                improve food security for the people of Venezuela, with 
                a specific emphasis on the most vulnerable populations.
                    (C) Technical assistance to ensure health and food 
                commodities are appropriately selected, procured, and 
                distributed, predominantly through local 
                nongovernmental organizations.
            (2) An identification of United States Agency for 
        International Development best practices in delivering 
        humanitarian assistance, particularly with regard to food 
        assistance and how such best practices are being utilized in 
        providing humanitarian assistance to Venezuela.
            (3) A description of obstacles put in place by the Maduro 
        Government to prohibit the entry of humanitarian assistance 
        into the country.
            (4) A description of efforts to enhance support for 
        countries in the Western Hemisphere in supporting the 
        humanitarian needs of Venezuelan migrants.
            (5) A description of efforts to ensure that humanitarian 
        assistance for Venezuelans is coordinated with other United 
        States bilateral assistance in the Western Hemisphere and does 
        not result in eliminating other bilateral assistance.
            (6) A description of how humanitarian assistance is being 
        monitored and evaluated and what additional staff are managing 
        the assistance.

SEC. 4. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REPORT ON UNITED STATES EFFORTS TO PROVIDE 
              HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report assessing the impact 
of United States humanitarian assistance to the people of Venezuela 
both in Venezuela and throughout the Western Hemisphere.

SEC. 5. SUPPORT FOR EFFORTS AT THE UNITED NATIONS ON THE HUMANITARIAN 
              AND POLITICAL CRISIS IN VENEZUELA.

    (a) Initial Efforts.--The President shall instruct the Permanent 
Representative of the United States to the United Nations to use the 
voice, vote, and influence of the United States to secure the necessary 
votes to--
            (1) place the humanitarian and political crisis in 
        Venezuela on the agenda at the United Nations; and
            (2) secure a Presidential Statement from the United Nations 
        urging the Government of Venezuela to allow the delivery of 
        humanitarian relief.
    (b) Additional Efforts.--
            (1) In general.--Beginning not later than 30 days after the 
        conclusion of efforts by the United States Permanent 
        Representative to the United Nations under subsection (a), the 
        President shall instruct the Permanent Representative to use 
        the voice, vote, and influence of the United States to secure 
        the adoption of a United Nations resolution described in 
        paragraph (2).
            (2) Resolution described.--The United Nations resolution 
        referred to in paragraph (1) is a resolution encouraging--
                    (A) the Government of Venezuela to promptly allow 
                safe and unhindered access for humanitarian agencies 
                and their implementing partners, including possible 
                support from neighboring countries; and
                    (B) the Government of Venezuela to allow the 
                delivery of food and medicine.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO 
              THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA.

    (a) In General.--The President is authorized to provide 
humanitarian assistance to support the people of Venezuela both in 
Venezuela and throughout the Western Hemisphere.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the President $150,000,000 each year for fiscal years 
2020 and 2021 to carry out this section.
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