House Republicans Introduce Ban on Importing Venezuelan Oil
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., along with three Republican co-sponsors, introduced a bill that would ban the import of Venezuelan oil. South Florida has a large Venezuelan exile population, and there had been recent press reports that the U.S. might import oil from Venezuela as it cut off oil imports from Russia.
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Donalds said in a March 24 press release, “As the global beacon of freedom, the United States should never be reliant upon the blood-stained oil of murderous dictators. President Biden must condemn the fraudulent regime of Venezuelan President Nicholás Maduro and prohibit all imported petroleum products from Venezuela.”
“The Biden Administration must not sell out the freedom of the Venezuelan people in exchange for petroleum resources that can be produced domestically,” co-sponsor Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., said. “Working out deals that enrich oppressive regimes is reprehensible and dangerous, and doing so helps to fund tools of oppression and helps them cling to illegitimate power. Instead of appeasing ruthless dictators, the Biden Administration must pursue a policy that prioritizes U.S. national security interests and freedom.”