Whereas Hungary transitioned to a democracy in 1989 following decades of ruthless repression by the Soviet Union, including the brutal suppression of the Revolution of 1956 in which thousands of Hungarians were killed; Whereas Hungary formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on March 12, 1999, signaling a commitment to transatlantic unity and democratic resilience; Whereas, as part of obligations to transatlantic security as a member of NATO, Hungary has sent troops to Kosovo and Afghanistan, contributes to the Baltic air policing mission, and leads Operation Althea, the European Union Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR); Whereas Viktor Orban first assumed the office of the Prime Minister of Hungary in 1998 and, while in office, restricted the number of plenary sessions held by the Parliament of Hungary, limiting oversight of the government; Whereas the Government of Hungary has used migration, the COVID–19 crisis, and the war against Ukraine by the Russian Federation to justify ongoing states of emergency in Hungary that allow the Orban cabinet to rule by decree, bypassing the parliament; Whereas, following the tenure of Orban as Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2010, Orban again assumed the office of the Prime Minister of Hungary following the parliamentary elections success of the Fidesz party; Whereas the Orban government passed a new constitution for Hungary in 2011, which limited the power of independent institutions in Hungary, including the Constitutional Court and the judicial system, reduced the number of seats in the National Assemble of Hungary by almost half, restricted civil liberties, and instituted a politicized media regulation authority with power to shut down outlets critical of the government