Rhode Island 2025 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5867 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2025 -- H 5867
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7	7	LC001502
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
15	15	URGING THE RHODE ISLAND FEDERAL DELEGATION TO DEMAND REVE RSAL OF
16	16	ACTIONS HARMING CRITICAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROGRAMS
17	17	Introduced By: Representatives Cortvriend, Donovan, Fogarty, McGaw, Kislak,
18	18	Speakman, Handy, and Morales
19	19	Date Introduced: February 28, 2025
20	20	Referred To: House Health & Human Services
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23	23	WHEREAS, The United States, under the administration of President Donald Trump, has 1
24	24	enacted several sweeping actions that directly undermine the health and wellbeing of the 2
25	25	American people, as well as those globally who depend on U.S. assistance and leadership, 3
26	26	including the withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Paris Climate 4
27	27	Agreement; halting critical U.S. foreign aid through USAID, including cutting key health 5
28	28	programs; and freezing over $3 trillion worth of federal grants and loans that jeopardize the 6
29	29	functioning of Medicaid; and 7
30	30	WHEREAS, These actions have caused a severe disruption in the United States’ ability to 8
31	31	respond to global health crises, halted vital biomedical research at the National Institutes of 9
32	32	Health (NIH), imposed stop-work orders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 10
33	33	(CDC), and harmed the health of millions of people by delaying and ending essential disease 11
34	34	prevention and healthcare programs; and 12
35	35	WHEREAS, The reinstatement of the Mexico City Policy has led to significant setbacks 13
36	36	in women’s health programs, particularly sexual and reproductive health and rights, which 14
37	37	disproportionately affect vulnerable communities; and 15
38	38	WHEREAS, The freezing of U.S. foreign aid has resulted in the dismantling of crucial 16
39	39	programs such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), leaving millions in 17
40	40	need of HIV prevention and treatment services without access to care; and 18
41	41	WHEREAS, The impact of these actions has already been felt across the globe and in the 19
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45	45	U.S., with health clinics closing, vital research stalling, and health workers being fired, leaving 1
46	46	countless individuals without access to life-saving care, with particular negative effects on the 2
47	47	most vulnerable populations, including women and key populations affected by HIV; and 3
48	48	WHEREAS, One of the most troubling actions has been the communication blackouts 4
49	49	imposed by the administration, most notably the cessation of the publication of the Morbidity and 5
50	50	Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) by the CDC, for the first time in over 60 years. This critical 6
51	51	journal has long been a vital source of information on disease surveillance, public health updates, 7
52	52	and scientific data that the U.S. and the world rely on to inform health decisions and policy, and 8
53	53	its absence severely undermines transparency and the nation's ability to respond to ongoing and 9
54	54	emerging health threats; and 10
55	55	WHEREAS, President Trump’s actions are not a measured reappraisal of U.S. priorities 11
56	56	but rather a dangerous and damaging assault on public health, scientific inquiry, and human rights 12
57	57	that must be reversed for the health of Americans and the broader global community; and 13
58	58	WHEREAS, The health, medical, and scientific communities have been essential in 14
59	59	advocating for their patients and defending critical programs, and the global health community 15
60	60	must work in solidarity to ensure that the U.S. once again becomes a reliable partner in global 16
61	61	health; and 17
62	62	WHEREAS, Bipartisanship has traditionally supported global health initiatives and the 18
63	63	protection of vulnerable populations worldwide, but the actions taken by President Trump have 19
64	64	created deep polarization, undermining trust in the U.S. as a leader in global health and 20
65	65	development; now, therefore be it 21
66	66	RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 22
67	67	urges Rhode Island’s federal delegation, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and 23
68	68	Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, to take immediate action to reverse these policies 24
69	69	and restore the U.S.’s role as a leader in promoting health, human rights, and global cooperation, 25
70	70	and to demand that President Trump reverse his harmful policies, including: 26
71	71	• Rejoining the World Health Organization (WHO) and recommitting to international 27
72	72	collaboration in the fight against global health crises; 28
73	73	• Re-entering the Paris Climate Agreement and reasserting the U.S.'s commitment to 29
74	74	addressing climate change as a public health issue; 30
75	75	• Restoring U.S. foreign aid funding, including the critical programs under USAID, 31
76	76	particularly for HIV prevention and sexual and reproductive health services; 32
77	77	• Unfreezing federal grants and loans essential for Medicaid and other public health 33
78	78	programs to function effectively and continue serving the most vulnerable; 34
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82	82	• Restoring the mission and funding of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the 1
83	83	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including removing stop-work orders and re-2
84	84	enabling their critical work on disease prevention, medical research, and public health initiatives; 3
85	85	• Repealing the Mexico City Policy, ensuring that women’s reproductive rights are 4
86	86	protected globally; 5
87	87	• Reversing the communications blackout, especially the cessation of the publication of the 6
88	88	Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), and restoring transparency in public health 7
89	89	reporting; 8
90	90	• Reversing restrictions on scientific research and publication, including the removal of 9
91	91	censorship on terms related to gender identity and sexual orientation, and promoting open, 10
92	92	evidence-based discourse in medical and scientific communities; and 11
93	93	• Restoring trust in U.S. leadership in global health, ensuring that future actions reflect the 12
94	94	values of cooperation, equity, and solidarity that have long been central to American ideals; and 13
95	95	be it further 14
96	96	RESOLVED, That this House hereby calls on the U.S. Congress to protect the health and 15
97	97	safety of Americans and those dependent on U.S. assistance, and to work together across political 16
98	98	lines to ensure that health, science, and human rights are defended in both the domestic and 17
99	99	international arenas; and be it further 18
100	100	RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 19
101	101	transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the offices of the Honorable Senator Jack Reed 20
102	102	and the Honorable Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, and the Honorable Representative Seth 21
103	103	Magaziner and the Honorable Representative Gabe Amo. 22
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