Venezuelan lawmakers have given initial approval to decree powers allowing President Nicolás Maduro to make laws without their involvement for six months. Maduro calls the powers a necessary step against U.S. “aggression.” The decree move comes after President Obama imposed sanctions on top Venezuelan security officials and declared Venezuela a national security threat, citing human rights concerns. U.S.-Venezuela ties are at their lowest point since Maduro took office in 2013, but Venezuela remains a top exporter of oil to the United States.