Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-34) joined U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) this week in introducing resolutions in Congress to recognize National Public Health Week and the importance of community involvement in preventing injuries and promoting good health.

Click here to view video of Congresswoman Roybal-Allard giving her statement on the floor of the House of Representatives.

National Public Health Week, sponsored by the American Public Health Association, seeks to educate the public, policy-makers and health professionals about issues important to improving our nation’s health. This year’s theme is “Safety is No Accident: Live Injury-Free.”

“National Public Health Week offers a reminder to all of our nation’s families that many of the choices we make in our daily lives directly determine how long we live and how well we live,” said Congresswoman Roybal-Allard who co-founded the Congressional Study Group on Public Health and is a member of the Appropriations Health Subcommittee. “This year’s theme highlights the fact that each year more than 150,000 people die from injuries and more than 30 million people are injured severely enough to go to the emergency room. These injuries occur during activities as common as driving a car, playing sports, or walking down the street. In addition to the devastating impact of injuries to families and communities, injuries account for 12 percent of annual medical spending in the United States, totaling as much as $65 billion each year. Many injuries, such as those from falls, poisoning, car crashes, and unintentional gunshot wounds, are preventable. Taking actions such as wearing a seatbelt, properly installing and using child safety seats, and storing cleaning supplies and guns in a locked cabinet are important ways to better protect the health and safety of our families.”

As a member of the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard works to increase funding for prevention and wellness. The subcommittee oversees federal funding for all the health-related programs and agencies of the federal government, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health.

A national leader in public health and prevention efforts, the congresswoman co-founded the bipartisan Congressional Study Group on Public Health to educate members and staff about public health issues. She is also the chairwoman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Health Care Task Force. In this role, Congresswoman Roybal-Allard championed efforts to pass health care reform to ensure that the sweeping initiative would improve the quality and affordability of health services, prioritize prevention and reduction of health disparities, and take necessary steps to begin to rein in the escalating costs of health care in our country.

In recognition of her ongoing work to support the health and wellbeing of our nation’s families, the congresswoman has received numerous honors from national organizations, including the American Public Health Association, the National Association of Hispanic Nurses, National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Century Council, the National Association of Community Health Centers, the National Hispanic Medical Association, the National Coalition for Cancer Research, the American Psychiatric Association, the national March of Dimes and the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition.