Cruz, Scott, Blackburn Introduce Bill Holding Illegitimate Maduro Regime Accountable

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced the Banning Operations and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian Regime (BOLIVAR) Act. This legislation holds Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro accountable by prohibiting federal agencies from doing business with anyone that supports the oppressive Maduro regime.

Sen. Cruz said, "Maduro is a tyrant and despot, and his regime poses acute risks to American national security and to the freedoms of the people of Venezuela. The regime is enabled and enriched through international contracts with global companies, and it is squarely in the interests of the United States to limit those contracts and hold those companies accountable. I urge my colleagues to take swift action to advance this bill."

Sen. Scott said, "Nicolás Maduro is an illegitimate, murderous dictator who oppresses the people of Venezuela, deprives them of freedoms, and steals elections from the rightful president, Edmundo González, and leader María Corina Machado. Maduro stands against everything the United States stands for, and he cannot remain in power. President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are moving quickly to reverse the appeasement and dangerous policies of the Biden administration, which have emboldened and enriched the regime for years now, and are taking significant action to hold the regime accountable and to stop Maduro from benefitting off Venezuela's natural resources while the nation's people suffer. We must keep up the pressure on the regime to FINALLY get Maduro out of power and bring freedom to the Venezuelan people by passing my BOLIVAR Act. This will build on our actions by preventing any federal agencies from doing business with anyone who chooses to do businesses with the murderous Maduro regime. It's time to finally get this bill passed and signed into law to cut Maduro off from every last resource, get him and his thugs out of power, and bring a new day of freedom to Venezuela."

Senator Marsha Blackburn said, "The Maduro regime is a fraudulent and oppressive dictatorship, and U.S. business dealings with Venezuela should not lend legitimacy to this government, which contradicts our democratic values. The BOLIVAR Act would prevent U.S. federal agencies from contracting with entities linked to the Maduro regime, severing financial support and weakening Nicolás Maduro's authoritarian hold on Venezuela."

Read the bill text here.

BACKGROUND

This legislation would:

• Prohibit federal agencies from awarding U.S. government contracts with companies that are engaged in business with the Maduro regime.
• Only apply to contracts entered into on or after the bill's enactment.
• Provide for necessary exceptions, including for rendering humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
• Allow the Secretary of State to waive the restriction when in the national interest of the U.S.

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