[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 3]
[Senate]
[Page 4308]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 425--SUPPORTING THE GOALS AND IDEALS OF NATIONAL 
                           PUBLIC HEALTH WEEK

  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:

                              S. Res. 425

       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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