Chairman Menendez Opening Remarks at Committee Hearing: Combatting Authoritarianism: U.S. Tools and Responses

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today delivered the following opening remarks at this morning’s full Committee hearing entitled “Combatting Authoritarianism: U.S. Tools and Responses.” Testifying before the Committee were the Honorable Uzra Zeya, Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights; Ms. Jennifer Hall Godfrey, U.S. Department of State Senior Official for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs; Ms. Anne Applebaum, Atlantic Magazine Staff Writer and Senior Fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University; and Dr. Daniel Twining, President of the International Republican Institute.

“When I returned to Chair this Committee, I believed it was critical that our first hearing explore the state of democracy around the world amid a resurgence of authoritarianism to remind ourselves that U.S. support of human rights, good governance and individual rights are not simply lofty policy goals in and of themselves,” Chairman Menendez said. “One year later, Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is showing the world exactly what is at stake. At this moment, a democracy – forged from the hard-fought tenacity of the Ukrainian people – is fighting for its very existence, while a ruthless dictator is shelling civilians, blowing up schools and hospitals, and threatening regional stability."

“In response to this threat, however, we are witnessing a democratic re-awakening. Democracies across the globe have rallied to deliver a swift, unified response to Putin and his enablers and have offered support to Ukrainians fighting for their freedom,” Chairman Menendez added. “We must capitalize on this resurgence of democratic fervor to successfully combat the growing threat of authoritarianism, and the United States must lead the way.”

Find a copy of Chairman Menendez’s remarks as delivered below.

“When I returned to Chair this Committee, I believed it was critical that our first hearing explore the state of democracy around the world amid a resurgence of authoritarianism to remind ourselves that U.S. support of human rights, good governance and individual rights are not simply lofty policy goals in and of themselves.

One year later, Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is showing the world exactly what is at stake. At this moment, a democracy – forged from the hard-fought tenacity of the Ukrainian people – is fighting for its very existence, while a ruthless dictator is shelling civilians, blowing up schools and hospitals, and threatening regional stability.

To authoritarians like Putin, liberal democracy is not just a nice concept. It is a formidable, dangerous ideology that threatens their power and wealth. And they will deploy whatever means necessary to protect that power from propaganda, corruption, and, tragically, ruthless violence.

In response to this threat, however, we are witnessing a democratic re-awakening. Democracies across the globe have rallied to deliver a swift, unified response to Putin and his enablers and have offered support to Ukrainians fighting for their freedom.

We must capitalize on this resurgence of democratic fervor to successfully combat the growing threat of authoritarianism, and the United States must lead the way.

Over the past two decades, a new type of 21^st century authoritarian support system has arisen. Rather than working in despotic isolation, authoritarian leaders operate through networks of new kleptocratic financial mechanisms, disinformation professionals, and an array of security services to protect one another from democratic pressures and to secure their repressive rule. Autocrats from Venezuela to Cuba and Belarus to Burma are sustained through support from China and Russia.

Today, I look forward to hearing about the Administration’s efforts to counter authoritarianism and bolster democracies. I believe that if we are to be successful in this fight, we must redouble our efforts.

Specifically, we must aggressively lead with our values in actions and not just in words. We must support and protect human rights defenders, democracy activists, and civil society organizations who are on the frontlines of this global struggle. In the coming weeks, I will be introducing the ‘Global Voices of Freedom Act’ which will strengthen protections for democracy and human rights defenders around the world.

We must combat the complex webs of kleptocracy sustaining autocrats around the world. We must cut off their life-blood and impair their ability to buffer one another from sanctions.

We must combat digital authoritarianism—including disinformation, propaganda, and censorship—used to subvert democratic principles and advance autocrats’ interests.

We must counter the dangerous narratives which authoritarians spread to manipulate, to distract, and to cause people to question whether democracy has anything to offer the modern world.

We must also bolster fledgling democracies—from Niger to Tunisia—including through economic support and counter the rise of illiberal forces —from El Salvador to Turkey. For too long, authoritarianism has lured national leaders with the promise of easy pathways to wealth and power. In response, we must strengthen our solidarity with nations striving to pursue security and prosperity for their people through just and democratic means.

Our efforts must also be well-funded. That is why I am glad we have the distinguished Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs here with us.

What the United States has invested in ‘democracy assistance’ pales in comparison to the billions that autocrats pour into protecting one another’s wealth and power.

The Administration’s Summit for Democracy last year represented a significant opportunity to galvanize our allies in these efforts. But if the goals of the Summit are not translated into concrete and well-funded actions, the democracy movement will be worse off, left only with empty promises.

We must also get our own house in order, as demonstrated when rioters stormed the Capitol on January 6 to overturn the results of the presidential election. 

We must fill critical roles at home including the Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, the Ambassador for war crimes, and ambassadorships around the world. My colleagues’ obstruction of these nominees impedes our ability to stand up to autocrats and support our allies. At the same time, the Administration must nominate an Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy.

In recent weeks, we have witnessed what authoritarians are willing to do to protect their power and wealth and to eliminate democracy. Today it is Russia and Ukraine, tomorrow it will be other nations. We have watched as Ukrainians have taken up arms and risked their lives in defense of freedom and democracy. What are we in turn, as democracies and as the United States, willing to do?

That is the question I hope we can begin to answer today.

With that let me turn to the distinguished Ranking Member for his comments.” 

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