Text of RI S 348 (2025)

2025 -- S 0348 ======== LC001501 ======== S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025 ____________ S E N A T 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: Senators Ujifusa, Lauria, Urso, Euer, Pearson, Valverde, Mack, Sosnowski, Quezada, and Bissaillon Date Introduced: February 21, 2025 Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services WHEREAS, The United States, under the administration of President Donald Trump, has 1 enacted several sweeping actions that directly undermine the health and wellbeing of the 2 American people, as well as those globally who depend on U.S. assistance and leadership, 3 including the withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Climate 4 Agreement; halting critical U.S. foreign aid through USAID, including cutting key health 5 programs; and freezing over $3 trillion worth of federal grants and loans that jeopardize the 6 functioning of Medicaid; and 7 WHEREAS, These actions have caused a severe disruption in the United States’ ability to 8 respond to global health crises, halted vital biomedical research at the National Institutes of 9 Health (NIH), imposed stop-work orders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 10 (CDC), and harmed the health of millions of people by delaying and ending essential disease 11 prevention and healthcare programs; and 12 WHEREAS, The reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy has led to significant setbacks 13 in women’s health programs, particularly sexual and reproductive health and rights, which 14 disproportionately affect vulnerable communities; and 15 WHEREAS, The freezing of U.S. foreign aid has resulted in the dismantling of crucial 16 programs such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), leaving millions in 17 need of HIV prevention and treatment services without access to care; and 18 WHEREAS, The impact of these actions has already been felt across the globe and in the 19 LC001501 - Page 2 of 3 U.S., with health clinics closing, vital research stalling, and health workers being fired, leaving 1 countless individuals without access to life-saving care, with particular negative effects on the 2 most vulnerable populations, including women and key populations affected by HIV; and 3 WHEREAS, One of the most troubling actions has been the communication blackouts 4 imposed by the administration, most notably the cessation of the publication of the Morbidity and 5 Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) by the CDC, for the first time in over 60 years. This critical 6 journal has long been a vital source of information on disease surveillance, public health updates, 7 and scientific data that the U.S. and the world rely on to inform health decisions and policy, and 8 its absence severely undermines transparency and the nation's ability to respond to ongoing and 9 emerging health threats; and 10 WHEREAS, President Trump’s actions are not a measured reappraisal of U.S. priorities 11 but rather a dangerous and damaging assault on public health, scientific inquiry, and human rights 12 that must be reversed for the health of Americans and the broader global community; and 13 WHEREAS, The health, medical, and scientific communities have been essential in 14 advocating for their patients and defending critical programs, and the global health community 15 must work in solidarity to ensure that the U.S. once again becomes a reliable partner in global 16 health; and 17 WHEREAS, Bipartisanship has traditionally supported global health initiatives and the 18 protection of vulnerable populations worldwide, but the actions taken by President Trump have 19 created deep polarization, undermining trust in the U.S. as a leader in global health and 20 development; now, therefore be it 21 RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby urges Rhode Island’s 22 federal delegation, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and Congressmen Seth 23 Magaziner and Gabe Amo, to take immediate action to reverse these policies and restore the 24 U.S.’s role as a leader in promoting health, human rights, and global cooperation, and to demand 25 that President Trump reverse his harmful policies, including: 26 • Rejoining the World Health Organization (WHO) and recommitting to international 27 collaboration in the fight against global health crises; 28 • Re-entering the Paris Climate Agreement and reasserting the U.S.'s commitment to 29 addressing climate change as a public health issue; 30 • Restoring U.S. foreign aid funding, including the critical programs under USAID, 31 particularly for HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health services; 32 • Unfreezing federal grants and loans essential for Medicaid and other public health 33 programs to function effectively and continue serving the most vulnerable; 34 LC001501 - Page 3 of 3 • Restoring the mission and funding of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including removing stop-work orders and re- 2 enabling their critical work on disease prevention, medical research, and public health initiatives; 3 • Repealing the Mexico City Policy, ensuring that women’s reproductive rights are 4 protected globally; 5 • Reversing the communications blackout, especially the cessation of the publication of the 6 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), and restoring transparency in public health 7 reporting; 8 • Reversing restrictions on scientific research and publication, including the removal of 9 censorship on terms related to gender identity and sexual orientation, and promoting open, 10 evidence-based discourse in medical and scientific communities; and 11 • Restoring trust in U.S. leadership in global health, ensuring that future actions reflect the 12 values of cooperation, equity, and solidarity that have long been central to American ideals; and 13 be it further 14 RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby calls on the U.S. Congress to protect the health and 15 safety of Americans and those dependent on U.S. assistance, and to work together across political 16 lines to ensure that health, science, and human rights are defended in both the domestic and 17 international arenas; and be it further 18 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 19 transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the offices of the Honorable Senator Jack Reed 20 and the Honorable Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and the Honorable Representative Seth 21 Magaziner and the Honorable Representative Gabe Amo. 22 ======== LC001501 ========