Denouncing the horrors of authoritarianism.
Sponsors
Jeff Merkley
D-OR | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Merkley (for himself and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This is a Senate Resolution (S.Res. 548) that formally denounces authoritarianism in all its forms and expresses the Senate's opposition to implementing authoritarian policies in the United States. The resolution references examples of authoritarian regimes in Venezuela, Turkey, and Russia, and reaffirms the importance of the Constitution's separation of powers and First Amendment protections.
Who Benefits and How
This resolution is symbolic and non-binding, so it does not create direct economic benefits for any specific industry or group. However, it expresses support for democratic institutions, civil liberties advocates, the free press, and political opposition groups by formally declaring the Senate's commitment to democratic values.
Who Bears the Burden and How
No one bears any legal or economic burden from this resolution. As a non-binding expression of Senate sentiment, it creates no mandates, requirements, costs, or compliance obligations for any person, organization, or government agency.
Key Provisions
- Formally denounces authoritarianism in all its forms
- Expresses opposition to implementing authoritarian policies in the United States
- References the erosion of democracy in Venezuela, Turkey, and Russia as cautionary examples
- Reaffirms the importance of the Constitution's separation of powers
- Cites the First Amendment's protections for free speech and free press
- Quotes Founding Father James Madison on the dangers of concentrated power
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
A Senate resolution that formally denounces authoritarianism in all its forms and expresses opposition to the implementation of authoritarian policies in the United States.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Express formal Senate opposition to authoritarian governance as a statement of democratic values and principles"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Democratic institutions
- Civil liberties advocates
- Free press
- Political opposition groups
- General public seeking government accountability
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_senate"
- → United States Senate
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology