Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) and Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar's (R) VERDAD Reauthorization Act has passed a markup in the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The VERDAD Reauthorization Act would reauthorize sanctions place on the Maduro regime in 2019.
After President Joe Biden (D) eased sanctions against Venezuela, Republican outcry was widespread. In an effort to enact pressure on the Maduro regime to continue showing support for the Democratic opposition of Venezuela, Senator Rubio and Rep. Salazar are seeking to reauthorize the VERDAD Act to provide the United States government with the necessary tools to keep pursuing freedom in Venezuela and the end of its dictatorship.
Rep. Salazar, who is the Chairwoman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, commented on the bill, saying that "the people’s choice María Corina Machado won the opposition primary with over 90% of the vote. But the Maduro regime will not let her participate in elections because they fear her popularity."
“The VERDAD Act was Congress’s landmark Venezuela bill which gave us the tools to fight the Chavista oppression. I urge my colleagues to support this bill," she added.
Senator Rubio praised the House Foreign Affairs Committee for passing the VERDAD Reauthorization Act, calling it "an important step."
“Let there be no doubt, this bill is needed now more than ever following the evermore tyrannical tactics of Maduro and his thugs against leading opposition presidential candidate María Corina Machado and her team. It’s time for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to follow suit and pass this bipartisan and bicameral bill," he added.
Rep. Salazar introduced the VERDAD Reauthorization Act in December of last year, and Florida Senators Rubio and Rick Scott (R), Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty (R), and Texas Senator Ted Cruz (R) introduced the Senate companion of the Verdad Reauthorization Act.
