IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1081 

Recognizing the role of democracies in responding to the COVID–19 pandemic, democracy’s resiliency, the dangers of authoritarianism, and reaffirming the commitment of the United States to democratic principles. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 11, 2020 

Mr. LOUDERMILK submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 

the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the role of democracies in responding to the 

COVID–19 pandemic, democracy’s resiliency, the dangers of authoritarianism, and reaffirming the commitment of the United States to democratic principles. 

Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic is a significant event in 

world history and will continue to challenge governments 

around the world; 

Whereas current research shows the novel COVID–19 strain 

was first transmitted in China in late 2019 and the 

World Health Organization declared COVID–19 a global 

pandemic on March 11, 2020; 

Whereas democracies have responded to the pandemic by 

sharing scientific information and medical resources 


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internationally and remaining committed to the human 

rights and freedoms of their people; 

Whereas authoritarian regimes have taken advantage of the 

pandemic as an opportunity to centralize power, spread 

disinformation, expand their corrupt practices, or otherwise deny basic human rights to their people; 

Whereas democracies contribute to the construction of a vast 

network of international partnerships, authoritarian regimes see these partnerships as instruments to be exploited for unilateral benefit and for realizing their longheld vision of having these institutions under their direction; 

Whereas democracies share information transparently and ensure that journalists operate freely, authoritarian regimes 

manipulate the content journalists can share and organize disinformation through their state-controlled media 

systems; 

Whereas democracies have shown resilience during this global 

crisis by encouraging constructive debate, authoritarian 

regimes suppress internal criticisms, tightening their 

grip, giving their people yet more reason to resist; 

Whereas democracies have taken steps to ensure the health 

and safety of their people, authoritarian regimes have removed fundamental protections with no intention of returning basic, indispensable rights; 

Whereas Taiwan’s democratic government was among the 

first to recognize this new strain of the coronavirus and 

they chose to build an extensive and coordinated domestic 

response while seeking to share evidence of human-tohuman transmission with the world, authoritarian reVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:39 Aug 12, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1081.IH HR1081

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gimes declined to share early evidence of the virus to mislead the world; 

Whereas the Republic of South Korea has taken its place on 

the world stage as one of the most vibrant democracies, 

they built a concentrated domestic testing program and 

were the first to share test kits, authoritarian regimes 

concealed the truth through an elaborate disinformation 

campaign and blamed democracies as the origin of 

COVID–19; 

Whereas the United States remains committed to a system 

of checks and balances and protecting access to government officials, authoritarian regimes detain or imprison 

those who dare to criticize their leaders; 

Whereas Denmark was an early adopter of recommended social distancing practices and its citizens rallied behind 

their leaders in hopes of having an early return to normalcy, authoritarian regimes mislead and disenfranchised 

their people; 

Whereas Australia established a working group of Federal, 

State, and local leaders to share information and increase 

resource utilization, authoritarian regimes centralized 

power to ensure only the dissemination of information favorable to the state and prevent citizen oversight of corrupt practices; 

Whereas Iceland built their response on a robust testing program, authoritarian regimes’ censorship actions delayed 

the implementation of public health strategies, exposing 

a deep mistrust of the government; 

Whereas Canada trusted their medical experts to lead public 

health initiatives, authoritarian regimes rejected the findings of medical experts, such as Dr. Li Wenliang; 


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Whereas Germany pursued meticulous contact tracing to slow 

the spread of the virus, authoritarian regimes have taken 

extreme measures forcing their people into isolation, including welding closed the doors of their homes; 

Whereas Japan treasured the health of Olympic visitors 

ahead of economic prosperity, authoritarian regimes 

placed regime security over global public health; and 

Whereas New Zealand rallied its people to face COVID–19 

and eliminate the virus from its borders, authoritarian 

regimes waited several critical days before sharing valuable information on the virus with their people: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the United States— 

3 (1) recognizes the commitment of democracies 

4 to democratic values and institutions in their dy5 namic response to the global COVID–19 pandemic 

6 and condemns the actions of those that seek to use 

7 the pandemic as an instrument to consolidate un8 democratic power and violate human rights; 

9 (2) remembers its commitment to fundamental 

10 democratic principles and to opposing the influence 

11 of authoritarian regimes that threaten the inter12 national order; 

13 (3) rejects the hollow appeal of 

14 authoritarianism and urges the leaders of these 

15 countries to reconsider their pursuit of censorship, 

16 exploitation, and suppression of human rights; 


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1 (4) encourages authoritarian governments to 

2 end their influence operations and disinformation 

3 campaigns and discontinue behavior that divides na4 tions and undermines the legitimacy of international 

5 institutions; and 

6 (5) calls on democracies and international insti7 tutions to remember their promise of transparency, 

8 accountability, integrity, and the free flow of infor9 mation. 

Æ 


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