Wasserman Schultz, Florida House Dems Demand Speaker Johnson Advance Venezuela Legislation to House Floor

Washington, September 5, 2024
“The Venezuelan people have spoken at the ballot box and in the streets, and overwhelming majorities across the nation repudiated Maduro and chose democracy. But this brutal narco-regime refuses to face reality, despite clear evidence of Maduro’s loss. Florida Democrats are determined to stop the violent repression of protestors and restore Venezuela’s democracy. If House Republicans are serious about countering migration and standing up to dictators, Speaker Johnson must bring bipartisan legislation to the floor to punish human rights abuses and promote a peaceful transfer of power.”

Washington DC – Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-25), co-chair of the Congressional Venezuela Democracy Caucus and Dean of Florida’s Democratic delegation, led Florida’s Congressional Democrats in a letter calling on Speaker Mike Johnson to respond to the urgent political crisis in Venezuela by immediately bringing bipartisan, pro-democracy legislation to the House floor when Congress reconvenes next week. 

The letter offers a series of bipartisan measures for the Speaker's consideration, several of which are led by Wasserman Schultz, such as the VOICE Act, the AFFECT Human Rights in Venezuela Act, and a recent resolution expressing U.S. solidarity with the Venezuelan people, recognizing Edmundo González as Venezuela’s president-elect, and demanding accountability for Nicolás Maduro's election theft and repression. 

The authors cite a message to Venezuelan opposition leaders in which Vice President Kamala Harris “underscored strong U.S. support for the Venezuelan people, denounced state-sponsored violence against demonstrators, and demanded more international pressure on Maduro to promote a peaceful transition of power” and state that “Congress must follow her lead.”

Wasserman Schultz was joined by Florida Democratic colleagues Reps. Kathy Castor (FL-14), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Lois Frankel (FL-22), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Jared Moskowitz (FL-23), Darren Soto (FL-09), and Frederica Wilson (FL-24).

“The Venezuelan people have spoken at the ballot box and in the streets, and overwhelming majorities across the nation repudiated Maduro and chose democracy,” said Congresswoman Wasserman Schultz. “But this brutal narco-regime refuses to face reality, despite clear evidence of Maduro’s loss. Florida Democrats are determined to stop the violent repression of protestors and restore Venezuela’s democracy. If House Republicans are serious about countering migration and standing up to dictators, Speaker Johnson must bring bipartisan legislation to the floor to punish human rights abuses and promote a peaceful transfer of power.”

The full text of the letter can be found here. 

 

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