Shalala tones it down, urges more sanctions on Maduro

Some Democratic members of the U.S. House of Representatives are quiet about President Trump’s recent economic embargo against Venezuela, and some like Rep. Donna Shalala, has decided to tone down their criticism of the president, and is urging President Trump to “continue targeted sanctions and prioritizing humanitarian assistance.”

Shalala, along with fellow South Florida Democrats Reps. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, including Republican Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, have been pressing Trump to implement Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for Venezuelans.

“Maduro must go. I urge the President to continue implementing targeted sanctions and prioritizing humanitarian assistance…”- Rep. Donna Shalala (D)

So far, Trump has only said that his administration would just continue to monitor the developments in Venezuela without giving a timetable as to if, and when he would grant TPS.

“Targeted sanctions work, but above all, we need the Trump Administration to deal with Venezuela in a serious way that goes beyond lip service,” said Shalala “The Venezuelan people are suffering in an unprecedented way as a result of the largest humanitarian crisis in the history of the Western Hemisphere, caused by the socialist, totalitarian Maduro regime.”

But while Shalala seemed to tone it down with the president, she didn’t do so with Senate Republicans, who she said are “blocking it at every turn,” demanding a vote this year on the bipartisan Venezuelan TPS Act.

The House has passed its version Venezuela TPS, and now it’s up to the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate to do the same.