2025 -- H 5867
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LC001502
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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
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
URGING THE RHODE ISLAND FEDERAL DELEGATION TO DEMAND REVE RSAL 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 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
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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 House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 22
urges Rhode Island’s federal delegation, Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, and 23
Congressmen Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo, to take immediate action to reverse these policies 24
and restore the U.S.’s role as a leader in promoting health, human rights, and global cooperation, 25
and to demand 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
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• 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 House 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
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