[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 848 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 848
Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the premier public health institute of the United States.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
August 8 (legislative day, August 7), 2026
Mr. Warnock (for himself and Mr. Ossoff) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the premier public health institute of the United States.
Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (referred to in this
preamble as the ``CDC'') celebrated its 80th anniversary on July 1,
2026;
Whereas, on July 1, 1946, the CDC was first established in Atlanta, Georgia, as
the Communicable Disease Center to control the spread of malaria after
World War II;
Whereas, since the 1940s, the CDC expanded from fewer than 400 employees in
Atlanta, Georgia, to nearly 13,000 employees across more than 60
countries in early 2025 to spearhead its lifesaving mission of
preventing and protecting the people of the United States from diseases
and other emerging health threats;
Whereas the CDC has contributed to major public health achievements, including
the eradication of smallpox in 1980, the prevention of more than
1,100,000 deaths through the Vaccines for Children program between 1994
and 2023, and the control of numerous outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic
fevers;
Whereas the CDC contributed to the decline in drug overdoses in the United
States by surveilling overdoses, prescribing guidelines, and partnering
with High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas programs in States;
Whereas the CDC has addressed the leading cause of preventable death through its
Tips From Former Smokers campaign, which helped 1,000,000 individuals
successfully quit smoking and prevented an estimated 129,000 premature
deaths;
Whereas the CDC protects the health of the people of the United States by
leading cross-cutting scientific research on public health threats,
including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, injuries, chronic diseases, zoonotic
infectious diseases, and environmental health issues, among others;
Whereas the CDC plays a critical role in providing public health guidance to
health professionals and patients on safe pregnancies and childbirth,
environmental and occupational exposures, disabilities, and the
prevention and control of injuries and diseases;
Whereas the CDC provides financial and technical support to States, territories,
Tribes, and local public health organizations to implement major public
health initiatives, such as the Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Program, to improve domestic disease monitoring and emergency
preparedness;
Whereas the CDC helps bridge the rural health gap by funding public awareness,
preventive screenings, and workforce training programs that promote
education, detection, and early intervention for public health threats
in underserved communities;
Whereas the CDC trains and recruits the world's leading epidemiologists,
researchers, and public health experts by facilitating fellowship and
internship programs;
Whereas the CDC is a key implementer of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS
Relief (PEPFAR) in collaboration with the Department of State, a program
credited with saving more than 26,000,000 lives from the global HIV
epidemic since its inception in 2003;
Whereas the CDC works with foreign ministries of health and other partners to
strengthen disease surveillance, laboratory systems, emergency
preparedness, and outbreak response and deploys experts to areas
affected by public health emergencies;
Whereas CDC employees dedicate their lives to improving health outcomes
worldwide through data-driven research and public health interventions;
Whereas, on August 8, 2025, a gunman fired more than 500 shots at buildings at
the CDC headquarters, including near a childcare center, leading to the
tragic death of Officer David Rose, a DeKalb County law enforcement
officer, and critical damage to the Atlanta campus; and
Whereas the shooting attack caused devastation, trauma, and grief to thousands
of public health workers across the United States and many hardworking
CDC employees who still had to show up at the office for months with
bullet holes in the windows: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) condemns the act of violence during the shooting on
August 8, 2025, and offers condolences to the loved ones of
Officer David Rose, who died in the line of duty;
(2) affirms the responsibility of Congress to protect the
integrity of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(referred to in this resolution as the ``CDC'') and the dignity
of dedicated CDC employees who put their lives on the line for
millions of individuals in the United States;
(3) commits to supporting the lifesaving mission of the CDC
of protecting the people of the United States and keeping them
healthy, safe, and secure through data-driven scientific
research, innovation, and public health initiatives;
(4) expresses hope that the CDC, with continued investment,
will continue its important work of saving lives from public
health threats; and
(5) respectfully requests that the Secretary of the Senate
transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the Director of
the CDC.
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