IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 78 

Expressing the sense of Congress that public health professionals should 

be commended for their dedication and service to the United States 

on Public Health Thank You Day, November 20, 2023. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 21, 2023 

Mr. WITTMAN (for himself and Ms. UNDERWOOD) submitted the following 

concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 

and Commerce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress that public health professionals should be commended for their dedication and 

service to the United States on Public Health Thank 

You Day, November 20, 2023. 

Whereas the health, security, and well-being of people in the 

United States is integral to a functioning democracy and 

strong economy; 

Whereas public health research and practice advances each of 

such core attributes of a thriving Nation; 

Whereas emerging and reemerging infectious and zoonotic 

diseases are an ongoing threat to the health of people in 

the United States and globally; 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HCON 78 IH 

Whereas the dedicated individuals who work to advance the 

public health play an instrumental role in lessening the 

burden of disease through research, surveillance and 

monitoring, education, and prevention by developing 

strategies, tools, policies, and programs, and in so doing 

are essential to improving quality of life and extending 

life expectancy; 

Whereas public health professionals have continuously shown 

their value in reducing and abating health and environmental threats such as influenza, tracing and addressing 

foodborne illnesses and other disease outbreaks, and promoting wellness by encouraging healthy behaviors; 

Whereas public health workers play a critical role in improving the quality of maternal and infant care and addressing the maternal mortality crisis; 

Whereas the maternal mortality crisis has been exacerbated 

in the wake of the COVID–19 pandemic and public 

health workers play a critical role in addressing the crisis; 

Whereas poor air quality, poor water quality, inadequate 

sanitation, social determinants, and behavioral factors exacerbate disease; 

Whereas, in 2022, approximately 1,300,000 people died of tuberculosis and 630,000 people died of HIV/AIDS, and a 

projected 619,000 people died of malaria; 

Whereas first responders who put themselves in harm’s way 

to protect and defend the public health are an imperative 

resource to the United States and its citizens; 

Whereas public health professionals are devoted to preventing 

other infectious diseases from spreading and to reducing 

the impact of the spectrum of longstanding and emerging 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HCON 78 IH 

global health threats in order to forestall and minimize 

the damage of future outbreaks; 

Whereas public health professionals play a key role in addressing the growing mental health crisis in the United 

States with approximately 50,000,000 people in the 

United States in 2022 having experiences mental illness, 

and more than 49,500 having committed suicide; 

Whereas public health professionals play a critical role in 

combating opioid addiction and opioid-related overdose 

deaths, which are devastating communities across the 

Nation; 

Whereas public health professionals are pivotal to combating 

antimicrobial resistance, which affects 2,800,000 people 

in the United States and leads to the deaths of at least 

35,000 Americans and 1,700,000 individuals globally 

each year; 

Whereas public health professionals play a central role in reducing racial, ethnic, and geographical disparities in 

health and health care that erode the Nation’s strength, 

prosperity, and productivity; 

Whereas COVID–19 has intensified health disparities, disproportionately affecting communities of color and creating acute health care challenges in rural areas of the 

Nation; and 

Whereas public health professionals are among the heroic 

first responders who confront and work to prevent natural disasters and environmental hazards that present a 

persistent threat to the life, health, and safety of all individuals in the United States: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that public 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HCON 78 IH 

1 health professionals are to be applauded, extolled, and 

2 thanked on Public Health Thank You Day for their wide3 spread and meaningful contributions to the Nation and 

4 global community. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK7ZCZBW3PROD with $$_JOB