IV
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. RES. 341
Expressing support for honoring Earth Day, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL21, 2025
Ms. M
ATSUI(for herself, Mr. NEGUSE, Ms. MCCLELLAN, Mr. COHEN, Ms.
A
NSARI, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. BROWNLEY, Mr. CASE, Mr.
C
ARBAJAL, Mr. CASTEN, Ms. CHU, Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. CLARKEof New
York, Mr. C
ONNOLLY, Mrs. MCCLAINDELANEY, Ms. DELBENE, Mr.
D
ESAULNIER, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mrs. FOUSHEE, Mr. GOMEZ, Mrs. HAYES,
Mr. H
UFFMAN, Ms. K AMLAGER-DOVE, Ms. K APTUR, Mr.
K
RISHNAMOORTHI, Mr. LEVIN, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr.
M
IN, Mr. MULLIN, Mr. OLSZEWSKI, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. PETERS, Ms.
P
INGREE, Mr. QUIGLEY, Ms. SALINAS, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY,
Mr. S
CHNEIDER, Ms. STANSBURY, Ms. STEVENS, Ms. TITUS, Ms. TLAIB,
Ms. T
OKUDA, Mr. TONKO, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. WILLIAMSof Georgia,
and Ms. W
ILSONof Florida) submitted the following resolution; which
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition
to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned RESOLUTION
Expressing support for honoring Earth Day, and for other
purposes.
Whereas Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970;
Whereas the late Senator Gaylord Nelson, the founder of
Earth Day, called on the people of the United States to
hold elected officials accountable for failing to adequately
protect the health of people and the natural environment;
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Whereas after witnessing years of environmental neglect, mil-
lions of Americans of all ages, walks of life, and political
affiliations gathered in cities across the Nation on the
first Earth Day to demand basic protections for our plan-
et and to commit to leaving behind a healthier world for
the next generation;
Whereas Earth Day united people who had been fighting
against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants,
raw sewage and toxic dumps, the loss of wildlife, and
other environmental ills;
Whereas that work continues today;
Whereas Earth Day is an annual event created to promote
environmental citizenship and action year-round;
Whereas the first celebration of Earth Day was the largest
environmental grassroots event ever held at that time and
is widely credited with launching the modern environ-
mental movement;
Whereas the voices of inaugural Earth Day participants gal-
vanized an unparalleled period of legislative and grass-
roots activity that changed the way we interact with the
environment, leading to the creation of the Environ-
mental Protection Agency and passage of legislation such
as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Clean
Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973;
Whereas, by 1990, Earth Day was celebrated globally, with
200,000,000 people in 141 countries participating in
Earth Day events;
Whereas Earth Day encourages environmental activism and
stewardship around the world, and reminds people to find
ways to protect the environment, including managing
their own environmental impact;
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Whereas Earth Day serves as an opportunity to learn from
and build community with indigenous communities, who
have stewarded the land for generations and have great
wisdom on preserving biodiversity;
Whereas on Earth Day people engage in projects, initiatives,
and campaigns to protect and restore the planet includ-
ing planting trees, removing litter, cleaning up coral
reefs, conserving water and energy, and other environ-
mentally responsible actions;
Whereas in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day,
the Global Earth Challenge was launched in 2020, a
global citizen science initiative to demonstrate how small
acts of science can add up to global change;
Whereas new and continuing challenges, including climate
change, pollution, and loss of forest, wetlands, and other
wildlife habitats, reinforce the need for adequate protec-
tions for the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land
we inhabit, and the animals we live alongside;
Whereas there is scientific consensus that climate change
poses a dire threat to our planet and its inhabitants, and
that urgent and unprecedented changes are needed to
mitigate its worst effects;
Whereas Earth Day reaffirms our national responsibility in
the global effort to combat climate change and protect
our planet for all;
Whereas, in 2021, Congress passed the Infrastructure Invest-
ment and Jobs Act, which made foundational investments
in clean drinking water, clean transportation, clean en-
ergy, resilient infrastructure, and pollution cleanup;
Whereas, in 2022, Congress passed what is commonly re-
ferred to as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the
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largest climate bill in American history and a trans-
formative investment in our future, that includes unprec-
edented funding for clean energy, zero-emission vehicles,
sustainable aviation, energy efficiency, climate-smart ag-
riculture and forestry, and decarbonizing heavy industry,
all while supporting and funding climate change mitiga-
tion and adaptation initiatives in those historically dis-
advantaged communities that are most vulnerable to the
effects of climate change;
Whereas these legislative actions have demonstrated the ca-
pacity for climate investments to strengthen American in-
dustry, support resilient supply chains, build critical in-
frastructure, and generate economic opportunity;
Whereas efforts to repeal these landmark laws or undermine
their implementation would have catastrophic con-
sequences for America and the world as we face the in-
creasing impacts of climate change;
Whereas recent actions to dismantle Federal agencies, shut
down critical programs, and illegally withhold funding ap-
proved by Congress will harm Americans across the coun-
try;
Whereas the rollback of environmental regulations will pollute
the air and contaminate the water of the United States,
jeopardizing the health of Americans for years to come;
Whereas the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is a step
toward ceding American leadership in the global effort to
protect the environmental health of the planet;
Whereas Earth Day encourages us to acknowledge the preva-
lence of environmental injustices that directly affect the
health and well-being of individuals and communities
across the country, and affirms our commitment to ame-
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liorating existing environmental injustices, and to pre-
venting future injustices;
Whereas Earth Day reminds us of the need to expand envi-
ronmental and climate literacy not only to strengthen en-
vironmental and climate protections but also to accelerate
development of green technologies and creation of green
jobs that will benefit all;
Whereas the mission and purpose of Earth Day remains rel-
evant today because pollution, environmental degradation,
and the climate crisis are transgenerational justice issues;
and
Whereas Earth Day reminds us that we must not pass a
world beyond repair to our children: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1
(1) urges the President to issue a proclamation 2
recognizing Earth Day; 3
(2) encourages the American people to mark 4
Earth Day by working— 5
(A) to address environmental challenges 6
large and small, from climate change to litter; 7
(B) to uplift indigenous environmental 8
knowledge and stewardship practices; 9
(C) to educate their friends, neighbors, and 10
elected representatives about the need for year- 11
round action; and 12
(D) to otherwise honor the stewardship 13
ethic for which Senator Gaylord Nelson stood; 14
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(3) urges the United States Government to re-1
join the Paris Agreement and prioritize other efforts 2
to ensure that future generations inherit a livable, 3
sustainable, and ecologically rich planet Earth; and 4
(4) reaffirms that immediate action is needed to 5
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ameliorate en-6
vironmental injustices in order to protect the Earth, 7
the public health, and the overall well-being of all 8
people and wildlife. 9
Æ
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