Expressing full support to the Ukrainian people in their aspiration to continue consolidating their democracy and rule of law.

IV 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 487 Expressing full support to the Ukrainian people in their aspiration to continue consolidating their democracy and rule of law. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 12, 2019 Mr. KEATING (for himself and Mr. KINZINGER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs RESOLUTION Expressing full support to the Ukrainian people in their aspiration to continue consolidating their democracy and rule of law. Whereas the Ukrainian people have demonstrated their com- mitment to democracy and sovereignty during the Revo- lution of Dignity demonstrations as well as peacefully at the ballot box in three nationwide elections since then; Whereas the overwhelming majority of Ukrainians in all re- gions say it is important that Ukraine continues to con- solidate its democracy in the face of Russian-sponsored disinformation campaigns aimed at dividing the country as well as portraying Ukraine and its democratically elected leaders as a failed state; Whereas the results of the spring 2019 Ukrainian presi- dential election indicate Ukrainians want to see progress VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:57 Jul 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR487.IH HR487 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 487 IH on reforms through processes that are both democratic and timely, particularly more accountable leadership and more consistent headway against public corruption; Whereas Ukrainian voters and election commissioners throughout the country conducted an orderly and demo- cratic voting process, defying bomb threats, cybersecurity incursions, and predictions of disruption by extremist groups; Whereas Ukraine’s electoral systems stood the test of the presidential campaign, and the International Election Ob- servation Mission organized by the Organization for Se- curity and Cooperation in Europe found that the election was ‘‘competitive and held with respect for fundamental freedoms’’, but also highlighted potential future vulnerabilities and shortcomings in the electoral frame- work; Whereas there may be attempts to exploit these shortcomings to discredit the snap parliamentary elections, currently scheduled for July, including as part of a Kremlin-orches- trated disinformation campaign; Whereas Russian attempts to disrupt and discredit demo- cratic electoral processes in Ukraine have direct and neg- ative consequences for the American people, as Ukraine has served as a ‘‘testing ground’’ for Russian techniques later employed in the United States and Europe; Whereas a democratic electoral process, the results of which are seen as highly credible by all Ukrainians and the international community, will demonstrate the commit- ment of the new Ukrainian administration to continuing or accelerating reform processes begun by its prede- cessors; and VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:57 Jul 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR487.IH HR487 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 487 IH Whereas the Congress considers itself a partner to the Ukrainian people and government in supporting demo- cratic reform, including elections: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) expresses its full support to the Ukrainian 2 people in their aspirations for fully consolidated de- 3 mocracy and the rule of law; 4 (2) supports and stands ready to help Ukraine 5 fight Russian attempts to undermine the Ukrainian 6 people’s unified support for democratic values; 7 (3) supports and stands ready to help Ukraine 8 administer a snap parliamentary election that fully 9 meets international democratic standards; 10 (4) calls on the Ukrainian Central Election 11 Commission to take all regulatory and logistical 12 steps possible to ensure that all Ukrainians can vote, 13 including those in the occupied territories and those 14 with disabilities; and 15 (5) calls on social media platforms to establish 16 a meaningful presence in Ukraine to be responsive 17 to any concerns raised by electoral stakeholders and 18 to better mitigate any abuses of their products. 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:57 Jul 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR487.IH HR487 pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS