Venezuela Tps Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. SOTO. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Florida.

In 2016, Olyn Itriago escaped the evil Maduro tyranny in Venezuela. She received death threats, including a failed attempt on her life. Her brother, however, was captured and tortured by the Venezuelan National Guard. The crime? Supporting the opposition party.

Olyn is now one of my constituents in Orlando, with her daughters and her husband. She is active with our local groups, advocating for freedom in Venezuela. She holds on to hope of returning home one day soon.

Another one of my newest constituents, Selene Vargas, was diagnosed with cancer in 2017. Due to the shortages of medicine, food, and lack of functioning quality hospitals in Venezuela, all caused by Nicolas Maduro's destruction of the economy, she moved to Orlando to continue her cancer treatment. Selene hopes to beat cancer, return to Venezuela, and see her family again.

Like Olyn and Selene, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans in the United States fear for their lives. They ask for our compassion until the horror ends. Our bipartisan Venezuela TPS Act would protect all eligible Venezuelan nationals from deportation. It allows them to contribute to our American economy, all while they continue to work to fix Venezuela.

The world is now witness to the ruthless oppression, starvation, and human rights abuses of Maduro's rule. The administration has been a loud voice condemning Maduro.

Vice President Mike Pence said, during a visit to Florida recently, that the White House is discussing TPS. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also mentioned TPS protections could be decided ``in the near future.''

Today, the House has a chance to fulfill those promises. Senators Marco Rubio and Bob Menendez are leading this bipartisan effort in the Senate as well.

Granting Venezuelans TPS is one of the most bipartisan immigration acts each of us as a Member of Congress can take right now. I plead with Members on both sides of the aisle to take this opportunity to come together to do the right thing.

It is our moral responsibility to support these brave Venezuelans and their families who are already citizens here in the United States. This is the next step to helping the people and to restoring freedom and the rule of law in Venezuela.

Madam Speaker, I urge all my colleagues in the House to vote for the bill.

``For a free Venezuela,'' ``Por una Venezuela libre.''

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