The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“CITGO 6 Families (Executive Session)” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Senate section on pages S2287 on April 8, 2019.
The State Department is responsibly for international relations with a budget of more than $50 billion. Tenure at the State Dept. is increasingly tenuous and it's seen as an extension of the President's will, ambitions and flaws.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
CITGO 6 Families
Madam President, sadly, Austin is not the only American being held captive by a rogue government regime today. In fact, he isn't even the only Texan.
In November of 2017, days before Thanksgiving, six Citgo executives were summoned to Venezuela for meetings with Citgo's parent company, Venezuela's state-owned PDVSA. During the final meeting, these men were detained by the Venezuelan Government, and for the past 16 months, they have been held captive beneath a military intelligence compound in Caracas. They have been denied contact with the State Department. They have been held without a trial. They have been unable to receive humanitarian aid. As the already horrible situation in Venezuela continues to worsen, their conditions are likely deteriorating even further.
In February, the children of two of these men wrote an op-ed in the Houston Chronicle that detailed the suffering of their fathers and that all six families have faced. They wrote: ``In their isolation, our fathers have bonded together over a shared purpose: to stay strong in body, mind and spirit in anticipation of their eventual return to their families.''
I assure these families that we will continue to stand alongside them in this fight. I call on the Maduro regime to immediately release these Americans and to allow them to return home. I have continued and will continue to urge the administration to make sure this remains a top priority.
Just as we have worked closely with the Tice family over the last 6 years in advocating for the release of Austin, their son, we will continue to do the same for these six men. The heartbreak felt by these families is unfathomable. Their spouses, children, and grandchildren are desperate to have their loved ones returned home. Together, we should do everything in our power to make that a reality.
Madam President, I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
