•HRES 137 IH 
world have been core, bipartisan components of United 
States foreign policy essential to the achievement of other 
United States foreign policy goals, including reducing 
poverty and racial inequality, promoting peaceful resolu-
tion of conflict, strengthening global alliances, ensuring 
gender equality, expanding prosperity, fostering greater 
security for all people, and sustaining the global environ-
ment; 
Whereas the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 states that ‘‘a 
principal goal of the foreign policy of the United States 
is to promote the increased observance of internationally 
recognized human rights by all countries’’; 
Whereas the United States, as a signatory of the Helsinki 
Final Act, has joined other like-minded countries in af-
firming its commitment to respecting ‘‘human rights and 
fundamental freedoms, including the freedom of thought, 
conscience, religion or belief, for all without distinction as 
to race, sex, language or religion.’’; 
Whereas this commitment includes respecting the rights of 
‘‘minorities to equality before the law . . . [and] the full 
opportunity for the actual enjoyment of human rights 
and fundamental freedoms’’; 
Whereas it is longstanding United States policy to work 
alongside like-minded democratic governments, legisla-
tures, civil society leaders and organizations, academic in-
stitutions and scholars, independent media and journal-
ists, anti-corruption activists, and international organiza-
tions worldwide to promote, protect, and advance the 
cause of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law; 
Whereas civil society organizations, human rights defenders, 
and journalists play a critical role in promoting human 
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•HRES 137 IH 
rights, transparency, accountability, and good govern-
ance, and around the world often face smear campaigns, 
criminalization, or other governmental constraints on 
their work, including intimidation, death threats, arbi-
trary detention, physical attacks, sexual violence, en-
forced disappearances, and murder; 
Whereas racism, anti-Semitism, and other forms of ethnic 
and religious discrimination threaten the rights, safety, 
and prosperity of individuals around the world; 
Whereas support for democracy around the world enhances 
regional peace and stability, opens doors for economic op-
portunity, and provides a counterweight to violent and 
radical extremism—all of which are in the national secu-
rity interests of the United States and its allies; 
Whereas democratic systems of government enshrine the indi-
vidual human rights of all citizens, so that every indi-
vidual can contribute to and enjoy the benefits of peace-
ful, prosperous societies; 
Whereas the United States supports the existence of and has 
often worked in partnership with independent and multi-
lateral human rights organizations, both at local and 
international levels, and has used their reporting for pol-
icy development and referred to their findings in the an-
nual Department of State Country Reports on Human 
Rights Practices and other United States policy docu-
ments; 
Whereas the idea of America enshrined in our democratic 
principles is one of our greatest competitive strengths, 
such that when we abandon these values and adopt the 
flawed principles and tactics of our adversaries, we be-
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•HRES 137 IH 
come weaker as a country and undermine our standing 
around the world; 
Whereas some countries are actively promoting an authori-
tarian model of government as an alternative to the 
model long advanced by the United States based on de-
mocracy, human rights, and the rule of law, with the au-
thoritarian model representing a threat to the role and 
influence of the United States in the world; 
Whereas some countries hostile to the democratic principles 
and values the United States has long promoted are also 
working to erode international alliances and organizations 
dedicated to advancing those principles, thereby placing 
United States security and economic interests at risk; 
and 
Whereas the United States has historically allied most closely 
and productively with those countries committed to de-
mocracy, human rights, and the rule of law: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the 
United States to upholding democracy, human 
rights, and the rule of law, at home and in the 
world; 
(2) acknowledges that United States national 
security is enhanced in a world in which countries 
share a commitment to universal rights and free-
doms and observe the democratic rule of law, and in 
which prosperity and justice create the conditions 
for peace; 
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(3) promotes, supports, and encourages greater 
respect for democracy, human rights, and the rule of 
law throughout the world for all people, including 
women and minorities, whose rights should be af-
forded equal protection under the law; 
(4) encourages the United States Government 
to work constructively with all countries and multi-
lateral institutions that seek to advance the cause of 
freedom, peace, and security, which can be achieved 
only through democracy, respect for human rights, 
and the rule of law; 
(5) calls on the United States Government to 
continue its longstanding support for organizations 
dedicated to promoting, protecting, and advancing 
democracy, human rights, and the rule of law world-
wide; 
(6) supports the United States Government’s 
crucial role in ending racial injustice and religious 
persecution as a key priority of U.S. policy and an 
integral part of its mission to promote, protect, and 
advance democracy, human rights, and the rule of 
law around the world; 
(7) urges the United States Government to con-
tinue its strong support for human rights defenders, 
civil society activists, scholars, and independent jour-
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nalists working to promote, protect, and advance de-
mocracy, human rights, and the rule of law world-
wide; 
(8) affirms that the United States Government 
must serve as an example for countries around the 
world by showing the highest level of respect for de-
mocracy, human rights, and the rule of law at home; 
and 
(9) calls on all branches of the Federal Govern-
ment to uphold the Universal Declaration of Human 
Rights, the Refugee Convention Protocol of 1967, 
the International Covenant on Civil and Political 
Rights, the Helsinki Final Act, and other relevant 
international human rights agreements ratified by 
the United States. 
Æ 
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