WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), issued the following statement regarding the Biden Administration’s plan to ease sanctions on Venezuela.    

“Joe Biden’s energy policies put America last. On day one, he killed the Keystone XL pipeline. In week one, he blocked new federal oil and natural gas leasing. By year two, he sold off 40 percent of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve – taking it to its lowest level in forty years. Meanwhile, he eased sanctions on Iran, which funds terrorism across the Middle East. Now with Israel under attack, Biden is desperate for anything to mask the consequences of his reckless policies. His latest gimmick is to ease sanctions on Nicolas Maduro’s brutal regime in Venezuela. America should never beg for oil from socialist dictators or terrorists. For the sake of our energy workers and our allies, Joe Biden must work with us to unleash American energy,” said Senator Barrasso.     

Background information:

On December 5, 2022 ranking member Barrasso teamed up with the ranking member Jim Risch (R-ID) of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on an op-ed highlighting how easing sanctions on Venezuela is bad policy for the United States.

Ranking member Barrasso is a co-sponsor of the Venezuelan Democracy Act to condition U.S. sanctions on Venezuela based on specific democratic progress.