Title: 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.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution recognizes the commitment of democracies to democratic values and institutions in their response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), and it condemns those who would use the pandemic to consolidate undemocratic power and violate human rights. Further, it expresses remembrance of the U.S. commitment to fundamental democratic principles and calls on democracies and international institutions to remember their promise of transparency, integrity, and the free flow of information.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1081 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 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 long-held 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-
        to-human transmission with the world, authoritarian regimes 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;
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
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that 
the United States--
            (1) recognizes the commitment of democracies to democratic 
        values and institutions in their dynamic response to the global 
        COVID-19 pandemic and condemns the actions of those that seek 
        to use the pandemic as an instrument to consolidate 
        undemocratic power and violate human rights;
            (2) remembers its commitment to fundamental democratic 
        principles and to opposing the influence of authoritarian 
        regimes that threaten the international order;
            (3) rejects the hollow appeal of authoritarianism and urges 
        the leaders of these countries to reconsider their pursuit of 
        censorship, exploitation, and suppression of human rights;
            (4) encourages authoritarian governments to end their 
        influence operations and disinformation campaigns and 
        discontinue behavior that divides nations and undermines the 
        legitimacy of international institutions; and
            (5) calls on democracies and international institutions to 
        remember their promise of transparency, accountability, 
        integrity, and the free flow of information.
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