This resolution supports the goals of National Public Health Week by recognizing past achievements, highlighting current health crises, and urging increased investment in prevention and strengthening the public health system.
Ben Luján
Senator
NM
This resolution supports the goals of National Public Health Week by recognizing significant past public health achievements while highlighting current crises like declining life expectancy and rising overdose deaths. It urges increased investment in prevention and strengthening the public health workforce to address ongoing challenges. The measure also expresses concern over proposed government restructuring and budget cuts that could undermine these vital efforts. Ultimately, it calls for a national commitment to becoming the healthiest nation within a generation.
Congress Backs Public Health Week, But Warns Budget Cuts Could Tank Life Expectancy Gains
This Congressional resolution is essentially a formal, supportive nod to National Public Health Week, but it quickly pivots from celebration to a serious warning about the state of our health infrastructure. It starts by acknowledging massive public health wins over the last 30 years—like the huge drop in adult smoking (now around 11.6%) and the near-elimination of childhood lead poisoning. However, the core purpose of this resolution is to use these successes as a backdrop to highlight current, alarming health crises and argue against proposed government cuts that could unravel everything.
The Alarming Health Reality Check
The resolution doesn't pull any punches when detailing the current crises. It points out that life expectancy dropped by 2.7 years between 2019 and 2021—a massive reversal. It highlights that drug overdose deaths are still topping 100,000 annually and that violence is taking over eight lives every hour. For working parents, the statistics on maternal mortality are especially grim: the rate was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022, with Black mothers dying at 2.5 times the rate of White mothers. This isn't just about diseases; it’s about systemic failures that affect who gets to live and raise their families.
The Budget Cuts That Keep Analysts Up at Night
Here’s where the resolution gets specific and critical. It strongly objects to proposed budget cuts and restructuring that it claims would gut the public health system. This isn’t a vague complaint; it calls out specific proposals, like shrinking the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) workforce from 82,000 down to 62,000 employees. Think about what that means: 20,000 fewer people working on everything from food safety inspections to mental health support.
It also slams the idea of combining key agencies—like the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)—into a new entity. For someone relying on a community health center (often funded by HRSA) or struggling to find affordable addiction treatment (SAMHSA’s focus), merging these complex operations could mean a confusing, disruptive pause in services. The resolution also expresses concern that staff cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are already limiting the U.S. response to current measles outbreaks and preparedness for future threats.
The Prevention Payoff
Ultimately, this resolution is a plea for investment. It argues that funding prevention is the ultimate cost-saver. It celebrates vaccination as a major win that cuts down on disease cases and healthcare costs—saving money that would otherwise be spent on hospital stays and long-term care. The Senate’s goal is aspirational: to make the U.S. the healthiest nation in the world within one generation. But the resolution makes it clear that achieving this means ditching the proposed cuts and strengthening the workforce that keeps us safe, healthy, and productive.