US SR548

Senate resolution introduced December 17, 2025 by Senators Merkley and Wyden, referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

Denounces authoritarianism in all its forms and opposes implementation of authoritarian policies in the United States

Cites examples of authoritarian leaders including Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, Recep Erdoğan in Turkey, and Vladimir Putin in Russia

References research findings that authoritarianism leads to lower health outcomes, decreased life expectancy, higher infant mortality, and harmful economic impacts

Affirms the importance of constitutional separation of powers, checks and balances, First Amendment freedoms, and the principle that democracies outperform authoritarian regimes in delivering prosperity