Chairman Risch Discusses Venezuela, Advises Maduro to “Find an Exit Ramp” on Bloomberg TV

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today appeared on Bloomberg TV’s “Balance of Power” to discuss the ongoing situation in Venezuela in addition to news that the administration plans to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, the impact of U.S. sanctions on Iran, and his work as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

  
On Maduro:

“Maduro made a horrible mistake for his own personal safety yesterday. He was reported to be ready to leave, and with encouragement from the Russians he did not. We have the Monroe Doctrine—it is alive and well and it is embraced by virtually every president and administration since it was put in place. Listening to a foreign power like that from outside of this Western Hemisphere and acting under their direction is a big, big mistake for Mr. Maduro... this cannot go on. Mr. Maduro is through there, and the sooner he embraces that idea and finds an exit ramp the better off he will be, the better off Venezuela will be, and the better off the Western Hemisphere will be.” 
  
On the Muslim Brotherhood:

“I can tell you, it is very, very complicated. The Muslim Brotherhood is a very diffuse organization and has different rules in different parts of the world. One of the roles it has is as a terrorist organization in some parts of the world. And, that is not acceptable. On the other hand, naming the entire organization, particularly where they are embedded in actual governments in some parts of the world, is complicating. This needs to be well-thought through and well-vetted before there is such a declaration." 
  
On Iranian sanctions:

“One of the great unreported issues in the world today is the economic difficulty within Iran. The Iranian people are not going to stand for this. The rial devalued over half of its value last year and it continues to deteriorate. This action by the United States is going to further pressure the Iranian regime to stop the bad things that they are doing. This is designed to change behavior and we hope they would do that, but the pressure is going to stay on until they do. They cannot continue to be the state sponsor of terror that they have been.” 
  
Full video of his segment can be viewed on YouTube or downloaded via this link.

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