IV 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 62 

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 22, 2021. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 18, 2021 

Mr. WITTMAN (for himself, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, and Mr. 

SIMPSON) 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 22, 2021. 

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

the United States is integral to a functioning democracy 

and strong economy; 

Whereas public health research and practice advances each of 

these 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; 


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•HCON 62 IH 

Whereas COVID–19 has affirmed the dedication of public 

health professionals, including environmental health professionals, epidemiologists, public health nurses, health 

educators, mental health professionals, microbiologists, 

and many other critical professionals; 

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 

food-borne illnesses and other disease outbreaks, and promoting wellness by encouraging healthy behaviors; 

Whereas almost half a million Americans die each year from 

smoking, and more than 1,000 cases of acute vaping-related disease have been documented across the country 

since June 2019; 

Whereas poor air quality, poor water quality, inadequate 

sanitation, social determinants, and behavioral factors exacerbate disease; 

Whereas, as of November 1, 2021, COVID–19, a global pandemic, has claimed the lives of more than 745,535 Americans and 5,000,000 individuals across the globe; 

Whereas public health professionals continue to tirelessly 

serve as a first line of defense against COVID–19; 


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•HCON 62 IH 

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 

global health threats in order to forestall and minimize 

the damage of future outbreaks; 

Whereas public health professionals play a critical role in 

combating opioid addiction and opioid-related overdose 

deaths, which are devastating communities across the 

Nation, an epidemic concurrent with the COVID–19 pandemic; 

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 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 


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•HCON 62 IH 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

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

3 health professionals are to be applauded, extolled, and 

4 thanked on Public Health Thank You Day for their wide5 spread and meaningful contributions to the Nation and 

6 global community. 

Æ 


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