III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 300 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Health Week. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 31, 2019 

Mr. UDALL (for himself, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. 

BROWN, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Mr. KING, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, 

Ms. HASSAN, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) 

submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of National Public Health 

Week. 

Whereas the week of April 1, 2019, through April 7, 2019, 

is National Public Health Week; 

Whereas the theme for National Public Health Week in 2019 

is ‘‘Creating the Healthiest Nation: For science. For action. For health.’’; 

Whereas the goal of National Public Health Week in 2019 

is to recognize the contributions of public health to— 

(1) improving the health of the people of the United 

States; and 

(2) achieving health equity; 

Whereas, in 2017, the life expectancy for the United States 

population declined for the third year in a row, and some 


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•SRES 300 ATS 

of the leading causes of death are among the most common, costly, and preventable of all health problems; 

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, including differences 

in obesity rates, the prevalence of chronic disease, and 

the prevalence of infectious disease; 

Whereas, despite significant progress in reducing the infant 

mortality rate in the United States to a historic low of 

5.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2017, the number of infant deaths in the United States greatly varies 

among States; 

Whereas women die from pregnancy-related deaths in the 

United States at a higher rate than in many other developed countries, and an estimated 60 percent of maternal 

deaths are preventable; 

Whereas poisoning, including drug overdose, has become the 

leading cause of accidental death in the United States, 

with the number of drug overdoses more than tripling between 1999 and 2016; 

Whereas, on average, 130 people in the United States die 

every day from an opioid overdose; 

Whereas the smoking of cigarettes is the leading cause of 

preventable disease and death in the United States, accounting for more than 480,000 deaths every year, including more than 41,000 deaths resulting from secondhand smoke; 

Whereas the percentage of adults in the United States who 

smoke cigarettes has decreased from 20.9 percent of the 

population in 2005 to 14 percent of the population in 

2017; 


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Whereas, according to data from the National Youth Tobacco 

Survey, between 2017 and 2018, current electronic cigarette use by students in the United States increased by 

78 percent among high school students and by 48 percent 

among middle school students; 

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 vaccination is 1 of the most significant public health 

achievements in history and has resulted in substantial 

decreases in— 

(1) the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths 

associated with vaccine-preventable diseases; and 

(2) the amount of health care costs associated with 

vaccine-preventable diseases; 

Whereas each 10 percent increase in local public health 

spending contributes to— 

(1) a 6.9 percent decrease in infant deaths; 

(2) a 3.2 percent decrease in deaths related to cardiovascular disease; 

(3) a 1.4 percent decrease in deaths due to diabetes; 

and 

(4) 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— 


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(1) disease outbreaks, such as the Zika virus and 

measles; 

(2) natural disasters; and 

(3) 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, people are 

changing the way 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 the 

prevention of disease and injury can continue to transform a health system focused on treating illness into a 

health system focused on preventing disease and injury 

and promoting wellness: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of National 

3 Public Health Week; 

4 (2) recognizes the efforts of public health pro5 fessionals, the Federal Government, States, Tribes, 

6 municipalities, local communities, and individuals in 

7 preventing disease and injury; 

8 (3) recognizes the role of public health in im9 proving the health of individuals in the United 

10 States; 


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1 (4) encourages increased efforts and resources 

2 to improve the health of people in the United States 

3 and make the United States, in 1 generation, the 

4 healthiest nation in the world— 

5 (A) by providing greater opportunities to 

6 improve community health and prevent disease 

7 and injury; and 

8 (B) by strengthening the public health sys9 tem in the United States; and 

10 (5) encourages the people of the United States 

11 to learn about the role of the public health system 

12 in improving health in the United States. 

Æ 


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