IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 353 

Supporting a democratic Hungary and reaffirming the long-standing and 

mutually-beneficial relationship between the United States and Hungary. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 24, 2017 

Mr. MOULTON (for himself, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mrs. HARTZLER, 

and Mr. MEEKS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting a democratic Hungary and reaffirming the longstanding and mutually-beneficial relationship between the 

United States and Hungary. 

Whereas Hungary has had a long-standing historic relationship with the United States, with bilateral relations established in 1921 and the first United States Ambassador to Hungary, Theodore Brentano, appointed on 

February 10, 1922; 

Whereas the United States honored the efforts and sacrifices 

of democratic protestors in Hungary in 1956 who will always be cherished for valiantly and courageously standing 

up to Soviet tanks; 


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Whereas the United States in 1978 reached a bilateral trade 

agreement with Hungary, including the extension of 

most-favored-nation status to Hungary; 

Whereas in the following years, the United States offered 

Hungary extensive assistance and expertise to help establish a constitution, a democratic political system, and a 

plan for a transitional free market economy; 

Whereas between 1989 and 1993, the Support for East European Democracy (SEED) Act of 1989 (Public Law 

101–179) provided more than $136,000,000 for economic 

restructuring and private-sector development in Hungary; 

Whereas Hungary acceded to the North Atlantic Trade Organization (NATO) in April 1999, and became a formal 

treaty ally of the United States; 

Whereas the United States supported Hungary in its accession to the European Union (EU) in 2004; 

Whereas the United States is proud to count as many as 

1,500,000 Hungarian-Americans as strong contributors 

to the economic vibrancy of the United States, as well as 

to the social, cultural, and political fabric of our country; 

Whereas Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his ruling party 

‘‘Fidesz’’, has increasingly moved towards 

authoritarianism in word and action, declaring in 2014 

that he preferred an ‘‘illiberal state’’ and ‘‘illiberal democracy’’ citing Russia as his model; 

Whereas numerous independent human rights organizations 

have raised alarms about the situation in Hungary and 

enumerated concerns in an April 25, 2017, letter to the 

European Parliament, including the International Federation for Human Rights, the European Association for 


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the Defense of Human Rights, Amnesty International, 

Reporters without Borders, and Human Rights Watch; 

Whereas Prime Minister Orban has sought to stifle any opposition to his rule, including by suppressing free speech 

and assembly, from universities, civil society groups, and 

independent think tanks; 

Whereas the Fidesz-dominated legislature is considering the 

draft law on ‘‘the Transparency of Organizations Receiving Foreign Funds’’ (T/14967), submitted on April 7, 

2017, which would force nongovernmental organizations 

receiving more than 7,200,000 HUF per year from 

abroad to register as ‘‘civic organizations receiving foreign funding’’ and organizations which will fail to comply 

with the new law would face dissolution; 

Whereas this law and other policies are thinly disguised as 

attempts to consolidate Fidesz control and is modeled on 

Russia’s foreign agent law which the EU and international rights experts have criticized as a tool to silence 

independent civil society and would further shrink the 

space for independent civil society organizations which 

protect human rights and deliver valuable services to society; 

Whereas Hungary continues to violate the rights of asylumseekers and migrants by allowing for the blanket detention of almost all asylum-seekers, including persons above 

the age of 14, in border ‘‘transit zones’’ for the whole duration of their asylum process, including any appeals; 

Whereas Hungary’s government continues to exert undemocratic influence over the freedom of the press, including 

in October 2016, when both the print and online editions 


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of Hungary’s leading opposition daily newspaper, 

Ne ́pszabadsa ́g, were closed due to political pressures; 

Whereas media outlets must register with the Hungarian government’s National Media and Infocommunications Authority, which can revoke licenses for minor infractions 

without clear explanation or due process; and 

Whereas politicians regularly file politically motivated criminal defamation charges against journalists and bloggers, 

including in 2015 when cases were brought against 17 

people for reports critical of government officials: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) reaffirms the long-standing and mutually3 beneficial relationship between the United States 

4 and Hungary; 

5 (2) condemns Hungary’s movement towards a 

6 less free and democratic society; and 

7 (3) urges Hungary to reverse laws and policies 

8 that curtail individual rights and basic freedoms. 

Æ 


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