H.Res. 851: Expressing profound concern about the ongoing political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, urging the release of political prisoners, and calling for respect of constitutional and democratic processes.

H.Res. 851: Expressing profound concern about the ongoing political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, urging the release of political prisoners, and calling for respect of constitutional and democratic processes.

114th Congress · introduced 2016-09-08 · International Affairs · Latest: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-09-08 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-23] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Expressing profound concern about the ongoing political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, urging the release of political prisoners, and calling for respect of constitutional and democratic processes.

Plain summary

Expresses concern about: (1) widespread shortages of essential medicines and basic food products faced by the people of Venezuela and urges President Maduro to permit the delivery of humanitarian assistance; and (2) the Venezuelan executive's lack of respect for the principle of separation of powers, its overreliance on emergency decree powers, and its threat to judicial independence. Expresses support for meaningful efforts towards a dialogue that leads to respect for Venezuela's constitutional mechanisms and resolves the country's political, economic, social, and humanitarian crisis. Calls on: (1) the government of Venezuela to immediately release all political prisoners, including U.S. citizens, to provide protections for freedom of expression and assembly, and to respect internationally recognized human rights; and (2) such government and security forces to respect the Constitution of Venezuela, including constitutional provisions that provide Venezuelan citizens with the right to peacefully pursue a fair and timely recall referendum for their president this year. Stresses the urgency of strengthening the rule of law and increasing efforts to combat impunity and public corruption in Venezuela. Affirms the support of the House of Representatives for OAS Secretary General Almagro's invocation of Article 20 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter and urges the OAS Permanent Council, which represents all of the organization's member states, to undertake a collective assessment of the constitutional and democratic order in Venezuela. Urges the President of the United States to provide full support for OAS efforts in favor of constitutional and democratic solutions to the political impasse, and to instruct appropriate federal agencies to hold officials of the Venezuelan government accountable for violations of U.S. law and abuses of internationally recognized human rights. Urges the President to continue to stand in solidarity with the Venezuelan people by urging the Maduro government to: hold a fair and free recall referendum by the end of this calendar year; release all political prisoners, including U.S. citizens, from prison; adhere to democratic principles; and permit the delivery of emergency food and medicine.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

A Yea supports adopting this resolution.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Expressing profound concern about the ongoing political, economic, social and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, urging the release of political prisoners, and calling for respect of constitutional and democratic processes.

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-23] · 26 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Michael T. McCaul (R-TX), Lois Frankel (D-FL), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL), Joaquin Castro (D-TX), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-23] reported raising $3.7 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (6)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Referendum: A vote by the public on a law or measure. Texas statewide propositions are how voters decide on constitutional amendments.
Resolution: A formal statement or decision by a legislative body. Simple resolutions often only express an opinion or set rules for one chamber; they do not become law.
Roll-call vote: A vote where each member's position is recorded by name, so the public can see how every member voted. "Yea" means yes, "Nay" means no, "Present" means the member was there but did not take a side.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hres851.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hres>

Record fed-us-cong114-hres851 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114