IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. CON. RES. 117 
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 21, 2022. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 17, 2022 
Mr. WITTMAN (for himself and Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD) 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 profes-
sionals should be commended for their dedication and 
service to the United States on ‘‘Public Health Thank 
You Day’’, November 21, 2022. 
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 117 IH 
Whereas COVID–19 has affirmed the dedication of public 
health professionals, including public health nurses, epi-
demiologists, mental health professionals, microbiologists, 
environmental health professionals, health educators, 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 environ-
mental threats such as influenza, tracing and addressing 
food-borne illnesses and other disease outbreaks, and pro-
moting wellness by encouraging healthy behaviors; 
Whereas almost half a million Americans die each year from 
smoking, and more than 2,800 cases of acute vaping-re-
lated disease have been documented across the country 
since February 2020; 
Whereas poor air quality, poor water quality, inadequate 
sanitation, social determinants, and behavioral factors ex-
acerbate disease; 
Whereas, as of November 1, 2022, COVID–19, a global pan-
demic, has claimed the lives of more than 1,070,000 
Americans and 6,600,000 individuals across the globe; 
Whereas 1 in 13 adults in the United States have ‘‘long 
COVID’’ symptoms; 
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•HCON 117 IH 
Whereas there have been 77,092 confirmed Monkeypox cases 
in 2022, with 36 total deaths being reported as of Octo-
ber 31, 2022; 
Whereas Ebola will claim the lives of 50 percent of those who 
contract it, on average; 
Whereas Respiratory Syncytial Virus has been detected 
27,594 times in the United States in October 2022 alone; 
Whereas, in 2021, approximately 1,600,000 people died of 
Tuberculosis, 650,000 people died of HIV/AIDS, and a 
projected 627,000 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 
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 pan-
demic; 
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 re-
ducing racial, ethnic, and geographical disparities in 
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•HCON 117 IH 
health and health care that erode the Nation’s strength, 
prosperity, and productivity; 
Whereas COVID–19 has intensified health disparities, dis-
proportionately affecting communities of color and cre-
ating 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 nat-
ural disasters and environmental hazards that present a 
persistent threat to the life, health, and safety of all indi-
viduals in the United States: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that public 
health professionals are to be applauded, extolled, and 
thanked on ‘‘Public Health Thank You Day’’ for their 
widespread and meaningful contributions to the Nation 
and global community. 
Æ 
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