2025 -- H 5867

========

LC001502

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

____________

H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

URGING THE RHODE ISLAND FEDERAL DELEGATION TO DEMAND REVERSAL OF

ACTIONS HARMING CRITICAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAMS

     Introduced By: Representatives Cortvriend, Donovan, Fogarty, McGaw, Kislak,
Speakman, Handy, and Morales

     Date Introduced: February 28, 2025

     Referred To: House Health & Human Services

     WHEREAS, The United States, under the administration of President Donald Trump, has

enacted several sweeping actions that directly undermine the health and wellbeing of the

American people, as well as those globally who depend on U.S. assistance and leadership,

including the withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Climate

Agreement; halting critical U.S. foreign aid through USAID, including cutting key health

programs; and freezing over $3 trillion worth of federal grants and loans that jeopardize the

functioning of Medicaid; and

     WHEREAS, These actions have caused a severe disruption in the United States’ ability to

respond to global health crises, halted vital biomedical research at the National Institutes of

Health (NIH), imposed stop-work orders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), and harmed the health of millions of people by delaying and ending essential disease

prevention and healthcare programs; and

     WHEREAS, The reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy has led to significant setbacks

in women’s health programs, particularly sexual and reproductive health and rights, which

disproportionately affect vulnerable communities; and

     WHEREAS, The freezing of U.S. foreign aid has resulted in the dismantling of crucial

programs such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), leaving millions in

need of HIV prevention and treatment services without access to care; and

     WHEREAS, The impact of these actions has already been felt across the globe and in the

U.S., with health clinics closing, vital research stalling, and health workers being fired, leaving

countless individuals without access to life-saving care, with particular negative effects on the

most vulnerable populations, including women and key populations affected by HIV; and

     WHEREAS, One of the most troubling actions has been the communication blackouts

imposed by the administration, most notably the cessation of the publication of the Morbidity and

Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) by the CDC, for the first time in over 60 years. This critical

journal has long been a vital source of information on disease surveillance, public health updates,

and scientific data that the U.S. and the world rely on to inform health decisions and policy, and

its absence severely undermines transparency and the nation's ability to respond to ongoing and

emerging health threats; and

     WHEREAS, President Trump’s actions are not a measured reappraisal of U.S. priorities

but rather a dangerous and damaging assault on public health, scientific inquiry, and human rights

that must be reversed for the health of Americans and the broader global community; and

     WHEREAS, The health, medical, and scientific communities have been essential in

advocating for their patients and defending critical programs, and the global health community

must work in solidarity to ensure that the U.S. once again becomes a reliable partner in global

health; and

     WHEREAS, Bipartisanship has traditionally supported global health initiatives and the

protection of vulnerable populations worldwide, but the actions taken by President Trump have

created deep polarization, undermining trust in the U.S. as a leader in global health and

development; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby

urges Rhode Island’s federal delegation, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and

Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, to take immediate action to reverse these policies

and restore the U.S.’s role as a leader in promoting health, human rights, and global cooperation,

and to demand that President Trump reverse his harmful policies, including:

• Rejoining the World Health Organization (WHO) and recommitting to international

collaboration in the fight against global health crises;

• Re-entering the Paris Climate Agreement and reasserting the U.S.'s commitment to

addressing climate change as a public health issue;

• Restoring U.S. foreign aid funding, including the critical programs under USAID,

particularly for HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health services;

• Unfreezing federal grants and loans essential for Medicaid and other public health

programs to function effectively and continue serving the most vulnerable;

LC001502 - Page 2 of 3

• Restoring the mission and funding of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including removing stop-work orders and re-

enabling their critical work on disease prevention, medical research, and public health initiatives;

• Repealing the Mexico City Policy, ensuring that women’s reproductive rights are

protected globally;

• Reversing the communications blackout, especially the cessation of the publication of the

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), and restoring transparency in public health

reporting;

• Reversing restrictions on scientific research and publication, including the removal of

censorship on terms related to gender identity and sexual orientation, and promoting open,

evidence-based discourse in medical and scientific communities; and

• Restoring trust in U.S. leadership in global health, ensuring that future actions reflect the

values of cooperation, equity, and solidarity that have long been central to American ideals; and

be it further

     RESOLVED, That this House hereby calls on the U.S. Congress to protect the health and

safety of Americans and those dependent on U.S. assistance, and to work together across political

lines to ensure that health, science, and human rights are defended in both the domestic and

international arenas; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the offices of the Honorable Senator Jack Reed

and the Honorable Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and the Honorable Representative Seth

Magaziner and the Honorable Representative Gabe Amo.

========

LC001502

========

LC001502 - Page 3 of 3