Description:
H.R. 854 would authorize humanitarian assistance in 2020 and 2021 for the Venezuelan people, both in Venezuela and in the surrounding region. In addition, the bill would require the Department of State and the Government Accountability Office to report to the Congress on aspects on that assistance. According to the U.S. Agency for International Development, the United States has obligated about $150 million over the 2018-2019 period for humanitarian assistance for Venezuelans. Of that amount, more than $55 million has been obligated in 2019. The bill would express the sense of the Congress that at least $150 million should be appropriated each year for 2020 and 2021. On that basis, and assuming appropriation of the estimated amounts, CBO estimates that implementing the humanitarian assistance would cost $252 million over the 2020-2024 period (the remaining $48 million would be spent in subsequent years). Using information about the costs of similar reports, CBO estimates that satisfying the reporting requirements in H.R. 854 would cost less than $500,000 over the 2019-2024 period; such spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
