III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 252 

Designating September 2019 as National Democracy Month as a time to 

reflect on the contributions of the system of government of the United 

States to a more free and stable world. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 19, 2019 

Mr. GRAHAM (for himself, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. REED, Mr. CASEY, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Ms. HASSAN, Mr. 

RUBIO, Mr. BLUNT, Mr. DURBIN, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. 

CANTWELL, Mr. CARDIN, Ms. SMITH, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. UDALL, Mr. 

MARKEY, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. ENZI, Mr. SCOTT of Florida, Mr. GARDNER, Mr. WICKER, Mr. BENNET, Mr. SULLIVAN, Mr. SCOTT of South 

Carolina, Ms. HIRONO, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, 

Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. KING, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. KAINE, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. 

BARRASSO, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. TESTER, Ms. WARREN, 

Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. INHOFE, Mrs. CAPITO, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Ms. MCSALLY, Ms. HARRIS, Mr. HAWLEY, Mr. PETERS, Ms. 

DUCKWORTH, Mr. ALEXANDER, Mr. BRAUN, Mr. COTTON, Mr. BROWN, 

Mr. CARPER, Mr. ISAKSON, Mr. COONS, and Mr. JONES) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2019 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating September 2019 as National Democracy Month 

as a time to reflect on the contributions of the system 

of government of the United States to a more free and 

stable world. 


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SRES 252 ATS 

Whereas, 2,000 years after the ancient Greeks laid the 

groundwork for democracy, the founders of the United 

States built an even greater system of government, a 

democratic republic, propelling the United States to become the most advanced nation in human history; 

Whereas the model of government of the United States has 

been reproduced around the world; 

Whereas, according to Freedom House, more than 1 in 3 people in the world do not live in states considered free; 

Whereas the Constitution of the United States and the Bill 

of Rights, with the addition of the Reconstruction Era 

amendments, including the 14th and 15th Amendments, 

and the 19th Amendment, enshrine the rights and civil 

liberties of citizens of the United States, including the 

right to vote in free and fair elections; 

Whereas the perpetuation of the ideals of democracy does not 

happen on its own, and can be stalled or reversed; 

Whereas surveys show that citizens of the United States are 

losing faith in the democratic system; 

Whereas former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor said, ‘‘The practice of democracy is not passed down 

through the gene pool. It must be taught and learned 

anew by each generation of citizens.’’; 

Whereas President John F. Kennedy said, ‘‘Democracy is 

never a final achievement. It is a call to untiring effort, 

to continual sacrifice and to the willingness, if necessary, 

to die in its defense.’’; 

Whereas President Ronald Reagan said, ‘‘Democracy is worth 

dying for, because it’s the most deeply honorable form of 

government ever devised by man.’’; 


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SRES 252 ATS 

Whereas World War II demonstrated the fragility of democracy and the civilized life that accompanies democracy; 

Whereas British Prime Minister Winston Churchill observed 

that, ‘‘Indeed it has been said that democracy is the 

worst form of Government except for all those other 

forms that have been tried from time to time . . . .’’; 

Whereas President George Washington said the United 

States must recognize the immense value of the national 

Union and work towards preservation of that Union with 

‘‘jealous anxiety’’, and wrote that the security of a free 

Constitution may be accomplished by ‘‘teaching the people themselves to know and to value their own rights’’; 

Whereas President Thomas Jefferson wrote, ‘‘Educate and 

inform the whole mass of the people . . . . They are the 

only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty.’’; 

and 

Whereas evidence of the diminution of strong support for 

democratic principles in recent years among citizens of 

the United States suggests the Government of the United 

States must once more teach and educate the people by 

taking appropriate actions to highlight and emphasize the 

importance of democratic principles and the essential role 

of democratic principles in the freedoms and way of life 

enjoyed by the people of the United States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates September 2019 as ‘‘National 

3 Democracy Month’’; 


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SRES 252 ATS 

1 (2) encourages States and local governments to 

2 designate September 2019 as ‘‘National Democracy 

3 Month’’; 

4 (3) recognizes the celebration of ‘‘National De5 mocracy Month’’ as a time to reflect on the con6 tributions of the system of government of the United 

7 States to a more free and stable world; and 

8 (4) encourages the people of the United States 

9 to observe ‘‘National Democracy Month’’ with appro10 priate ceremonies and activities that— 

11 (A) provide appreciation for the system of 

12 government of the United States; and 

13 (B) demonstrate that the people of the 

14 United States shall never forget the sacrifices 

15 made by past generations of people of the 

16 United States to preserve the freedoms and 

17 principles of the United States. 

Æ 


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