[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 61 (Friday, April 7, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S2458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 125--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL 
                           PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK

  Mr. UDALL (for himself, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Markey, Ms. Heitkamp, Ms. 
Warren, Mr. Cardin, Mr. King, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. 
Blumenthal, Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Franken, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Brown, and Mr. 
Van Hollen) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 125

       Whereas the week of April 3, 2017, through April 9, 2017, 
     is National Public Health Week;
       Whereas the theme of National Public Health Week in 2017 is 
     ``Healthiest Nation 2030'', with the goal of making the 
     United States the healthiest country in 1 generation;
       Whereas, according to the National Academy of Medicine, 
     despite being one of the wealthiest countries in the world, 
     the United States ranks below many other economically 
     prosperous and developing countries with respect to measures 
     of health, including life expectancy and infant mortality 
     rates;
       Whereas the life expectancy for the population of the 
     United States has declined for the first time in more than 2 
     decades and the leading causes of deaths are among the most 
     common, costly, and preventable of all health problems;
       Whereas there is a significant difference in the health 
     status, including with respect to obesity, mental health, and 
     infectious disease, of individuals who live in the healthiest 
     States as compared with individuals who live in the least 
     healthy States;
       Whereas, despite having a high infant mortality rate 
     compared to other economically prosperous and developing 
     countries, and a death rate that varies greatly among States, 
     the United States, until recently, was making steady progress 
     with respect to overall measures of public health, with the 
     infant mortality rate in 2014 reaching a historic low of 5.8 
     infant deaths per 1,000 live births;
       Whereas, since 1999, opioid-involved deaths have more than 
     quadrupled, requiring a comprehensive strategy across a range 
     of sectors, including robust efforts to prevent substance 
     misuse disorders;
       Whereas the percentage of adults in the United States who 
     smoke cigarettes, an activity that is the leading cause of 
     preventable disease and death in the United States and 
     accounts for more than 480,000 deaths each year, decreased 
     from 20.9 percent in 2005 to 15.1 percent in 2015;
       Whereas a strong public health system results in clean and 
     healthy air, water, food, and places in which to live, learn, 
     work, and play;
       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 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 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, in communities across the United States, 
     individuals are changing the way that they care for their 
     health by avoiding tobacco use, eating healthier, becoming 
     more physically active, and preventing unintentional injuries 
     at home and in the workplace; and
       Whereas efforts to adequately support public health and 
     prevention can continue the transformation from a health 
     system that is focused on treating illness to a health system 
     that is 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, tribes, municipalities, local 
     communities, and individuals in preventing disease and 
     injury;
       (3) recognizes the role of the public health system in 
     improving the health of individuals in the United States;
       (4) encourages increased efforts, and the use of additional 
     resources, to improve the health of people in the United 
     States and make the United States the healthiest country in 1 
     generation--
       (A) through greater opportunities to improve community 
     health and prevent disease and injury; and
       (B) by 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 improving 
     health in the United States.

                          ____________________