U.S. Representatives Debbie Murcarsel-Powell, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Donna Shalala sent a letter urging President Trump to choose a new National Security Advisor that will take the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis seriously by expanding access to Temporary Protected Status (TPS), reports Melissa S. Razdrih from Florida Politics.
In July, the Trump administration decided not to designate Venezuela for TPS, further endangering those who might be deported by the United States to a country in the midst of violence, food shortages, and political unrest.
Razdrih’s reporting is excerpted below:
Representatives Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Donna Shalala penned a letter urging the president to choose someone who will take the Nicolás Maduro humanitarian crisis seriously. Among the things they’d like to see is an adviser willing to grant Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans fleeing the regime.
For those who aren’t familiar with what’s going on in Venezuela, Juan Guaidó declared the presidency in January, a move that was designed to oust the existing Maduro regime and bring democracy to Venezuela.
The United States and other nations, including the EU, recognize Guaidó as the true president of Venezuela, but a peaceful transition of power has not occurred.
The Maduro family continues to have a significant leadership stake and public influence in Venezuela that’s credited with leading to one of the largest humanitarian crises of our time.
…A letter this week from Mucarsel-Powell, Wasserman Schultz and Shalala assert that in Venezuela today, “88 percent of hospitals have reported shortages in medication, and 79 percent are experiencing shortages in surgical supplies.”
Meanwhile, the need for these things grows greater and greater. More than 3.4 million people have fled Venezuela or been forced to leave during the crisis, which has led the U.S. House to pass bills outlining aid for Venezuela.
…“The House of Representatives has stood up for Venezuelans by passing several bills that address the present humanitarian crisis and future of Venezuela. This includes the Humanitarian Assistance to the Venezuelan People Act of 2019, the Russian-Venezuelan Threat Mitigation Act, the Venezuela Arms Restriction Act and the Venezuela TPS Act of 2019.
“We have urged the Senate to pass this legislation, and we continue to ask you to exercise your authority to grant Temporary Protected Status to Venezuelans We firmly believe that TPS for Venezuelans in the United States must be granted without delay.”
… Want to read the full letter text? Check it out here.
