The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“TRENDING TOWARD AUTHORITARIANISM” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the in the House of Representatives section section on page H6182 on Nov. 4.
The Department is one of the oldest in the US, focused primarily on law enforcement and the federal prison system. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, detailed wasteful expenses such as $16 muffins at conferences and board meetings.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
TRENDING TOWARD AUTHORITARIANISM
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Quigley) for 5 minutes.
Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, author and historian Timothy Snyder said in his book, ``On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century,'' that ``history does not repeat, but it does instruct.''
Indeed, we must constantly work to preserve our democratic institutions from those who wish to threaten them because one of the most powerful instructions or lessons from the last century is that democracy is deeply fragile, and more importantly, it can trend and fall into authoritarianism.
There are those in this country who are ignoring the lessons of the past, or worse. Some of the most popular news programs, Facebook groups, and social media networks are those that spread deliberate or negligent misinformation for partisan gain, sure, but for financial gain especially.
In 2018, the American Institutional Confidence Poll found that only 69 percent of Americans believed democracy is always preferable to any other kind of government. The remaining 31 percent either reported that they were open to authoritarianism under some circumstances or they were so disillusioned with politics that the type of government didn't matter.
While 69 percent may not seem alarming, it is nearly the same number of Hungarians who reported that democratic values, such as multiparty elections, were ``very important'' the same year that autocratic Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban began his ascent to power.
Alarmingly, American conservative pundits have been praising Orban for his brand of strongman authoritar
ianism for months, while Orban's rule has been marked by state control of the media; restrictions on LGBTQ and immigrant communities; and suppression of free speech, a free media, and political opposition.
Despite Orban's assault on global democratic values, conservative commentators here at home have endorsed his policies and have held him up as an example of what Americans should look for in a leader. These pundits have praised him for rejecting immigrants and refugees and have embraced his brand of ethnoreligious nationalism.
This praise for autocratic leaders and authoritarianism is dangerous.
Perhaps many believe that what happened in Hungary, the swift consolidation of political power and manipulation of political institutions, could not happen here. But one of the important lessons of the Trump Presidency is that we cannot afford to be complacent.
Over the past 4 years, we watched media and leaders on the right excuse or even support former President Trump as he leaned into authoritar
ianism and incited violence. During his time in office, the former President's actions often echoed those of strongmen like Orban.
The former President used his office to target political rivals, including the efforts in Ukraine that ultimately led to his impeachment, treated the Department of Justice as his own personal police force, violently put down protests against him, used the Presidency to enrich himself, embraced political strongmen across the globe, and intentionally inflamed political tensions to his own benefit.
I believe history can and should continue to inform us, but we don't have to look back very far. The trends developing around the world and in our own country are warning about the threat of authoritarianism.
At a time when political polarization has led to violent attacks on democratic institutions across the country and in this very room, it is reckless to be feeding into these divisions.
They are preying on deep ideological divides in this country and on their followers' fears. They exploit economic anxieties and concerns over immigration and globalization. They advocate for a society where the voices of those who offer different opinions are threatened or silenced.
A poll just released by the Public Religion Research Institute found that 40 percent of those who subscribe to the farthest right media agree with the statement that ``true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save this country.''
These statistics should be alarming to all of us. But those who peddle incendiary and harmful rhetoric are using the trends toward authoritar
ianism to their cynical advantage.
Authoritarianism thrives on polarization and uncertainty. Those who exploit, not repair, these cracks in our democracy do so for the explicit purpose of increasing their own power.
We must recognize their true intentions and work to preserve the democracy they seek to threaten.
All media outlets have an obligation to present Orban and others like him as they are, repressive demagogues who threaten liberty and the rule of law.
We must continue to recognize our common interests and those that have made our country the envy of the world: our freedoms of expression, economic mobility, and our deep cultural richness.
Orban's rule is a warning to all of us.
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