[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 540 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 540

Commending the officers of the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health 
               Service for their work in fighting Ebola.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 14, 2016

    Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Isakson) submitted the following 
             resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Commending the officers of the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health 
               Service for their work in fighting Ebola.

Whereas the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service (in this preamble 
        referred to as the ``Commissioned Corps'') traces its antecedents to the 
        creation of the Marine Hospital Service in the Act entitled ``An Act for 
        the relief of sick and disabled seamen'', approved July 16, 1798;
Whereas the Commissioned Corps today consists of approximately 6,700 
        commissioned officers who serve in 11 specialty areas;
Whereas thousands of officers of the Commissioned Corps have deployed in the 
        aftermath of natural disasters such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and 
        Superstorm Sandy;
Whereas almost 900 officers of the Commissioned Corps deployed to Iraq and 
        Afghanistan to support members of the Armed Forces stationed in those 
        locations;
Whereas the officers of the Commissioned Corps constitute a rapidly-deployable 
        force of medical professionals who serve public health in the United 
        States and foreign countries;
Whereas more than 300 officers of the Commissioned Corps deployed to Liberia to 
        treat Ebola patients, voluntarily accepting the risks associated with 
        treating patients who carried this deadly disease;
Whereas hundreds of other officers of the Commissioned Corps provided support to 
        the officers who were deployed to Liberia;
Whereas the Ebola epidemic in Liberia no longer represents a public health 
        emergency of international concern, as determined by the World Health 
        Organization, due in part to the intervention of officers of the 
        Commissioned Corps; and
Whereas the United States was spared the danger of an Ebola outbreak because the 
        disease was contained in West Africa: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate commends all of the officers of the 
Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service who participated in the 
effort to prevent an Ebola outbreak in the United States.
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