[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 425 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 425

    Supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Health Week.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 14, 2016

  Mr. Udall (for himself, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Brown, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. 
  Heitkamp, Mr. Franken, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. 
   Markey, Mr. Heinrich, Mrs. Murray, and Ms. Warren) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Health Week.

Whereas the week of April 4, 2016, through April 10, 2016, was National Public 
        Health Week;
Whereas the theme for National Public Health Week in 2016 was ``Healthiest 
        Nation 2030'', with the goal of making the United States the healthiest 
        nation in one generation;
Whereas public health organizations use National Public Health Week to educate 
        the public, policymakers, and public health professionals on issues that 
        are important to improving the health of the people of the United 
        States;
Whereas the value of a strong public health system is in the air we breathe, the 
        water we drink, the food we eat, and the places in which we all live, 
        learn, work, and play;
Whereas there is a significant difference in the health status of people living 
        in the healthiest States compared to people living in the least healthy 
        States, such as rates of obesity, poor mental health, and infectious 
        disease;
Whereas public health professionals help communities prevent, prepare for, 
        withstand, and recover from the impact of a full range of health 
        threats, including disease outbreaks such as the Zika virus, natural 
        disasters, and disasters caused by human activity;
Whereas public health professionals collaborate with partners that are not in 
        the health sector, such as city planners, transportation officials, 
        education officials, and private sector businesses, recognizing that 
        other sectors have an important influence on health;
Whereas according to the National Academy of Medicine, despite being one of the 
        wealthiest nations in the world, the United States ranks below many 
        other economically prosperous and developing countries with respect to 
        measures of health, including life expectancy, infant mortality rates, 
        low birth weight rates, and the rate of drug-related deaths, which for 
        overdose deaths involving opioids has increased by 200 percent since 
        2000;
Whereas studies show that small strategic investments in prevention can result 
        in significant savings in health care costs;
Whereas each 10-percent increase in local public health spending contributes to 
        a 6.9-percent decrease in infant deaths, a 3.2-percent decrease in 
        deaths related to cardiovascular disease, a 1.4-percent decrease in 
        deaths due to diabetes, and a 1.1-percent decrease in cancer-related 
        deaths;
Whereas in communities across the country, more people are changing the way they 
        care for their health by avoiding tobacco use, eating more healthfully, 
        becoming more physically active, and preventing unintentional injuries 
        at home and in the workplace;
Whereas despite having a high infant mortality rate as compared to other 
        economically prosperous and developing countries and a death rate that 
        varies greatly among States, overall the United States is making steady 
        progress, with the infant mortality rate reaching a historic low in 
        2014, with 5.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births;
Whereas the percentage of adults in the United States who smoke cigarettes, the 
        leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, 
        decreased from 20.9 percent in 2005 to 16.8 percent in 2014; and
Whereas efforts to adequately support public health and prevention can continue 
        to transform a health system focused on treating illness to a health 
        system focused on preventing disease and promoting wellness: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of National Public Health 
        Week;
            (2) recognizes the efforts of public health professionals, 
        the Federal Government, States, Indian tribes, municipalities, 
        local communities, and individuals in preventing disease and 
        injury;
            (3) recognizes the role of public health in improving the 
        health of individuals in the United States;
            (4) encourages increased efforts and resources to improve 
        the health of people in the United States to create the 
        healthiest nation in one generation through--
                    (A) greater opportunities to improve community 
                health and prevent disease and injury; and
                    (B) strengthening the public health system in the 
                United States; and
            (5) encourages the people of the United States to learn 
        about the role of the public health system in the United 
        States.
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