119-hres341

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 341 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
H. RES. 341

 Expressing support for honoring Earth Day, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 April 21, 2025

 Ms. Matsui (for herself, Mr. Neguse, Ms. McClellan, Mr. Cohen, Ms. 
 Ansari, Ms. Barragan, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Case, Mr. 
Carbajal, Mr. Casten, Ms. Chu, Mr. Cleaver, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. 
 Connolly, Mrs. McClain Delaney, Ms. DelBene, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr. 
 Espaillat, Mrs. Foushee, Mr. Gomez, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Huffman, Ms. 
Kamlager-Dove, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Levin, Ms. McCollum, 
 Mr. McGovern, Mr. Min, Mr. Mullin, Mr. Olszewski, Mr. Panetta, Mr. 
 Peters, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Quigley, Ms. Salinas, Ms. Scanlon, Ms. 
 Schakowsky, Mr. Schneider, Ms. Stansbury, Ms. Stevens, Ms. Titus, Ms. 
 Tlaib, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Tonko, Ms. Velazquez, Ms. Williams of Georgia, 
 and Ms. Wilson of 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 
 determined 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;
Whereas after witnessing years of environmental neglect, millions 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 planet 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 environmental movement;
Whereas the voices of inaugural Earth Day participants galvanized an 
 unparalleled period of legislative and grassroots activity that changed 
 the way we interact with the environment, leading to the creation of the 
 Environmental 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;
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 including planting trees, removing 
 litter, cleaning up coral reefs, conserving water and energy, and other 
 environmentally 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 protections 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 Investment and Jobs Act, 
 which made foundational investments in clean drinking water, clean 
 transportation, clean energy, resilient infrastructure, and pollution 
 cleanup;
Whereas, in 2022, Congress passed what is commonly referred to as the Inflation 
 Reduction Act of 2022, the largest climate bill in American history and 
 a transformative investment in our future, that includes unprecedented 
 funding for clean energy, zero-emission vehicles, sustainable aviation, 
 energy efficiency, climate-smart agriculture and forestry, and 
 decarbonizing heavy industry, all while supporting and funding climate 
 change mitigation and adaptation initiatives in those historically 
 disadvantaged communities that are most vulnerable to the effects of 
 climate change;
Whereas these legislative actions have demonstrated the capacity for climate 
 investments to strengthen American industry, support resilient supply 
 chains, build critical infrastructure, and generate economic 
 opportunity;
Whereas efforts to repeal these landmark laws or undermine their implementation 
 would have catastrophic consequences for America and the world as we 
 face the increasing impacts of climate change;
Whereas recent actions to dismantle Federal agencies, shut down critical 
 programs, and illegally withhold funding approved by Congress will harm 
 Americans across the country;
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 prevalence of environmental 
 injustices that directly affect the health and well-being of individuals 
 and communities across the country, and affirms our commitment to 
 ameliorating existing environmental injustices, and to preventing future 
 injustices;
Whereas Earth Day reminds us of the need to expand environmental and climate 
 literacy not only to strengthen environmental 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 relevant 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) urges the President to issue a proclamation recognizing 
 Earth Day;

    (2) encourages the American people to mark Earth Day by 
 working--
        (A) to address environmental challenges large and 
 small, from climate change to litter;
        (B) to uplift indigenous environmental knowledge 
 and stewardship practices;
            (C) to educate their friends, neighbors, and 
 elected representatives about the need for year-round 
 action; and
            (D) to otherwise honor the stewardship ethic for 
 which Senator Gaylord Nelson stood;

    (3) urges the United States Government to rejoin the Paris 
 Agreement and prioritize other efforts to ensure that future 
 generations inherit a livable, sustainable, and ecologically 
 rich planet Earth; and

    (4) reaffirms that immediate action is needed to reduce 
 greenhouse gas emissions and ameliorate environmental 
 injustices in order to protect the Earth, the public health, 
 and the overall well-being of all people and wildlife.
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