,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aajb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,february #g1        
#bjai,ms4 ,wasserman ,schultz 7for      
herself1 ,mr4 ,diaz-,balart1 ,ms4       
,shalala1 and ,ms4 ,mucarsel-,powell7   
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,foreign 
,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to assess and     
mitigate threats posed by               
,russian-,venezuelan cooperation1 and   
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,russian-,venezuelan ,threat ,mitigation
 ,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds   
the following3  7#a7 ,the ,russian      
,federation's increased presence in the 
western hemisphere is of concern to the 
,united ,states and our allies in the   
region4  7#b7 ,in ,december #bjah1 the  
,russian ,federation sent two ,tu-#afj  
nuclear-capable bombers to ,venezuela   
for joint exercises with the ,venezuelan
 military4 ,the ,tu-#afj can carry      
conventional or nuclear-tipped cruise   

missiles with an estimated maximum range
 of around #c1jjj miles4  7#c7 ,russian 
and ,venezuelan forces took part in a   
joint #aj-;hour exercise across the     
,caribbean in ,december #bjah with the  
,tu-#afj nuclear-capable bombers4  7#d7 
,the ,maduro regime has turned to the   
,russian ,federation1 one of its        
strongest political allies1 for         
financial support during its current    
economic crisis4  7#e7 ,nicolas ,maduro 
secured loans from the ,russian         
,federation to be repaid through future 
oil exports1 but fell behind on those   
payments in #bjag4 ,news reports in     
,december #bjah suggest that ,russian   
,state oil company ,rosneft has lent    
,venezuelan state oil company ,petroleos
 de ,venezuela 7,pd,v,s,a7 #f4e billion 
partly as prepayment for crude oil1 #c4a
 billion of which remained outstanding  
as of the end of ,september #bjah4  7#f7
 ,in #bjaf1 ,pd,v,s,a secured a #a4e    
billion loan from ,rosneft1 and         
,pd,v,s,a used #di4i percent of its     

shares in ,united ,states-based and     
,venezuelan-owned company ,,citgo as    
collateral4 ,a ,venezuelan default could
 lead to potential ,russian ownership of
 ,united ,states energy infrastructure4 
7#g7 ,at the conclusion of a #c-;day    
visit to ,moscow in ,december #bjah1    
,maduro announced #f billion worth of   
,russian investment pledges focused on  
the oil and mining sectors as well as   
the export of #fjj1jjj tons of ,russian 
wheat to ,venezuela to cover its #bjai  
needs4  #c4 ,threat assessment and      
strategy to counter ,russian influence  
in ,venezuela  7a7 ,threat assessment   
,not later than #abj days after the date
 of the enactment of this ,act1 the     
,secretary of ,state shall submit to the
 appropriate congressional committees an
 assessment on ,russian-,venezuelan     
security cooperation and the potential  
threat such cooperation poses to the    
,united ,states and countries in the    
,western ,hemisphere4  7b7 ,strategy    
,not later than #cj days after the      

submission of the threat assessment     
required under subsection 7a71 the      
,secretary of ,state shall submit to the
 appropriate congressional committees a 
strategy to address ,russian-,venezuelan
 cooperation4  7c7 ,definition ,in this 
section1 the term appropriate           
congressional committees means the      
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the  
,house of ,representatives and the      
,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the
 ,senate4  #d4 ,assessment of foreign   
acquisition of ,,citgo assets in the    
,united ,states  7a7 ,in general ,not   
later than #ij days after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,president shall transmit to the        
appropriate congressional committees an 
assessment of the security risks posed  
by potential ,russian acquisition of    
,,citgo's ,united ,states energy        
infrastructure holdings4  7b7           
,definition ,in this section1 the term  
appropriate congressional committees    
means the ,committee on ,foreign        

,affairs and the ,committee on          
,appropriations of the ,house of        
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,foreign ,relations and the ,committee  
on ,appropriations of the ,senate4