WHEREAS, the health of North Dakotans is vital to their quality of life and happiness, the state’s prosperity, economic stability, and future growth;
WHEREAS, North Dakotans are increasingly aware of the failures of the current healthcare system, with rising costs and poor health outcomes, and support for reforming the system is growing across the state;
WHEREAS, despite high healthcare spending, North Dakota faces significant health challenges, including a diabetes prevalence of 9.9% (2023 CDC data), higher-than-average obesity rates (35.2% per 2023 CDC data), and rural healthcare access issues, contributing to a chronic disease crisis;
WHEREAS, chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and obesity significantly lower quality of life and happiness, burden North Dakota’s economy, with healthcare costs for obesity-related illnesses alone estimated at $540 million annually (North Dakota Department of Health, 2023), straining families and the state budget;
WHEREAS, poor health impacts North Dakota’s quality of life, workforce and security, with 30% of young adults aged 17-24 ineligible for military service due to obesity and related conditions (Mission: Readiness, 2023), and chronic disease reducing workplace productivity by an estimated 3% annually;
WHEREAS, lifestyle factors, including poor nutrition and lack of physical activity, exacerbate North Dakota’s mental health crisis, with rural areas reporting higher rates of depression (12% above national average, 2023 SAMHSA data) linked to diets high in processed foods;
WHEREAS, declining testosterone levels and rising infertility rates affect North Dakotans, with 1 in 9 couples facing infertility (2023 CDC data), often tied to lifestyle factors like obesity and exposure to harmful chemicals;
WHEREAS, pharmaceutical industry influence, with lobbying expenditures of $379 million nationally in 2023 (Statista), shapes a healthcare system that often prioritizes profits over preventive, lifestyle-based solutions critical for North Dakotans;
WHEREAS, rising Medicaid costs in North Dakota, driven by chronic disease, are projected to increase by 40% over the next decade (North Dakota Department of Human Services, 2024), threatening fiscal sustainability without a shift to prevention-focused care;
WHEREAS, the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) budget and workforce have grown significantly, yet health outcomes have not improved, highlighting inefficiencies and the need for privatization to drive competition, reduce costs, and improve care quality through market-driven solutions;
WHEREAS, non-medical health providers like naturopaths, chiropractors, physical therapists, athletic trainers, and health coaches are underutilized in North Dakota, despite their proven ability to reduce healthcare costs and improve outcomes, particularly in rural communities;
WHEREAS, recent legal actions have exposed gaps in vaccine research, with the U.S. government admitting many vaccines lack adequate placebo-controlled studies, raising concerns for North Dakotans about transparency in public health;
WHEREAS, studies show that less than 1% of vaccine injuries are ever reported, and less than 10% of severe injuries are ever reported to VAERS, the only system tasked with tracking injuries.
WHEREAS, public officials have been guilty of understating risks of inoculation, overstating benefits, and not forthcoming and transparent about the right to be exempt.
WHEREAS, empowering North Dakotans with health freedom through education, access to diverse providers, and transparent research will reduce chronic disease and restore vitality across the state;
BE IT RESOLVED, the NDGOP supports the following actions to combat chronic disease, improve health outcomes, and enhance economic and community well-being:
– Purge Toxins: Advocate for cleaner food, water, and air by reforming state regulations to limit exposure to harmful chemicals
– Support sustainable farming practices: to increase access to nutrient-rich foods, leveraging North Dakota’s agricultural strengths.
– Remove Barriers to Health Innovation: Expand access to non-patentable health solutions and empower North Dakotans to manage their own health.
– Increase Transparency in Healthcare: Reform state health policies to ensure accountability and prioritize public health over corporate interests.
– Enhance Health Education: Integrate whole food nutrition, physical activity, and mental well-being into school curriculums across North Dakota.
– Elevate Non-Allopathic Providers: Recognize and integrate naturopaths, chiropractors, physical therapists, athletic trainers, health coaches, and others into the state’s healthcare system, especially in underserved rural areas.
– Divest Diagnosis Monopolization: Allow non-drug prescribing practitioners to manage lifestyle-related conditions, reducing reliance on pharmaceuticals.
– Break Industry Influence: Address conflicts of interest in state health policy to ensure decisions benefit North Dakotans, not pharmaceutical, biochemical, or insurance industries.
– Prioritize Prevention in Healthcare: Cut red tape in North Dakota’s Medicaid Medicare system to cover preventive measures like exercise programs, nutrition education, and non-pharmaceutical practices to reduce chronic disease.
– Demand Rigorous Vaccine Studies: Support federal eorts for full, true-placebocontrolled studies on vaccines to ensure safety and eicacy for North Dakotans.
– Protect the Right to Refuse Medical Procedures: Protect the right to be exempt, the right to privacy of healthcare decisions, and promote full transparency in options for exemptions for children, as well as employees.
– Encourage Privatization of Healthcare: Promote privatization of the healthcare industry to foster competition, reduce ineiciencies in state agencies like HHS, lower costs, and improve health outcomes through market-driven innovation and accountability.
BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to all Republican members of the North Dakota State Legislature and to the Governor of North Dakota for their consideration.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
1. The NDGOP shall ensure that this resolution be posted on the official website ndgop.org
2. The designated website administrator is authorized and directed to oversee the posting and to ensure that the resolution remains accessible online.
3. Should circumstances require removal or update of the posted material, such action shall be documented and approved by the NDGOP Executive Committee.
Adopted this 14th day of June, 2025, by the North Dakota Republican Party State Committee.
Reference List:
– North Dakota Department of Health, Chronic Disease Data, 2023.
– CDC, Diabetes and Obesity Statistics, 2023.
– SAMHSA, Mental Health Statistics, 2023.
– Mission: Readiness, Military Eligibility Report, 2023.
– North Dakota Department of Human Services, Medicaid Projections, 2024.
– Statista, Pharmaceutical Lobbying Expenditures, 2023.
– North Dakota Monitor, Federal Funding Cuts for HHS, 2025.
