Collins statement on H.R. 549 markup

"There is no doubt the people of Venezuela are suffering. It is fitting Democrats brought this Venezuela bill forward — perhaps they feel guilty because the agenda they’re trying to sell Americans mirrors the socialist venom that has sown misery across the country of Venezuela. Guilt may be compelling Democrats to take in victims of their political ideology that’s in action abroad. . . . "The more Democrats normalize socialism, the more they put America’s future in danger. . . ."

WASHINGTON — Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, gave the following opening statement at the markup of H.R. 549. Below are the remarks as prepared. Ranking Member Collins: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. H.R. 549 statutorily designates Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act, the DHS Secretary can designate a country for TPS if there are circumstances that would prevent the safe return of aliens to that country, or if a country is temporarily unable to adequately handle the return of its nationals. The effect of a TPS designation is nationals of the designated country who are inside the United States on the date of such designation, whether here legally or illegally, may apply to stay here and receive employment authorization. DHS has estimated there are 270,000 such Venezuelan nationals currently in the U.S. — and 123,000 of those are here illegally. Usually, TPS is initially designated for a period of 18 months and then re-designated in 18-month increments after the DHS Secretary reviews the conditions in the country to determine whether the initial TPS designation should continue. If the secretary determines the country no longer meets the conditions for TPS designation, the statute requires the secretary to terminate the designation. As I stated earlier, what Congress intended as a temporary protection has, over time, become a permanent, automatically-renewed status, with some countries designated for TPS for decades. As we know, Honduras was initially designated for TPS in 1999 as a result of Hurricane Mitch, and Somalia was initially designated in September 1991 based on armed conflict there. There are currently nearly 418,000 TPS recipients from ten different countries living in the United States. The current administration applied the law under section 244 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which requires mandatory termination of TPS designation if the conditions that initially justified that designation no longer exist. In accordance with the law, this administration terminated TPS for Sudan, Nicaragua, Haiti and El Salvador. The DHS Secretary gave those populations at least 12 months to prepare for departure, but objectors filed a lawsuit, and activist federal courts issued an injunction. There is no doubt the people of Venezuela are suffering. It is fitting Democrats brought this Venezuela bill forward — perhaps they feel guilty because the agenda they’re trying to sell Americans mirrors the socialist venom that has sown misery across the country of Venezuela. Guilt may be compelling Democrats to take in victims of their political ideology that’s in action abroad take in victims of their political ideology that’s in action abroad. Socialism denies personal freedoms and destroys societies. The more we undermine American sovereignty and empower bureaucrats, the more we move toward models we know don’t work. The more Democrats normalize socialism, the more they put America’s future in danger. Which nation will take American refugees if Democrats are allowed to enact their socialist agenda? Venezuela is a lesson to all of us — this is where socialism leads, and America is a refuge from that oppressive ideology and the wicked regimes it produces. Consequently, I believe Congress should consider statutorily designating Venezuela for TPS.  However, we must reform the process to ensure renewal is not a rubber stamp. Should we pass H.R. 549 as drafted, should we fail to enforce the “T” in temporary, we risk being in the same position we are currently in with regard to other TPS designations — no administration will terminate any TPS status, and, 20 years from now, members of Congress will call for green cards for those Venezuelans here on TPS. For the reasons above, I must oppose H.R. 549 as currently drafted. I hope my Democrat colleagues will work with me to amend this well-intentioned bill.