{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gabe-vasquez-statement-venezuela-blockade", "Rep. Gabe Vasquez Statement on Venezuela Blockade", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NM", "Gabe Vasquez", "V000136", "vasquez.house.gov", "vasquez", "https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 On December 17, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) released the following statement in response to the administration\u2019s blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.\n\n\u201cThis Administration is actively eroding the most basic Constitutional checks and balances for the use of military force, and it\u2019s gravely concerning. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I stand by the Constitution and by our troops \u2014 we must follow the law and rules of engagement.\u201d\n\n\u201cDeclaring war on a foreign government and sending American servicemembers into harm\u2019s way is a solemn decision, and our Founding Fathers made it clear \u2014 only Congress has the power to declare war. The Administration owes it to the American people to respect the Constitution and provide evidence and transparency around what it is really doing with our taxpayer dollars in the Caribbean and Venezuela.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe last thing Americans want is another drawn-out conflict in a faraway place that does nothing to make their lives better. I\u2019m from our southern border, so I firmly believe we must be doing everything we can to combat bad actors and cartels smuggling drugs into our country. That means investing in smart border technology and supporting our law enforcement officers, not pouring our resources into a conflict with a weak nation, which won\u2019t solve the fentanyl crisis here at home.\u201d\n\n\u201cEscalating hostilities in Venezuela will drive up energy prices for Americans and funnel taxpayer money away from things that actually matter here at home. My constituents are worried about the price of groceries and making rent on time, yet the Administration chooses to focus on starting new conquests overseas \u2014 it\u2019s wrong, and we must refocus.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gabe-vasquez-statement-venezuela-blockade"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7424210198223591, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}