[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 315 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 315
Expressing support for honoring Earth Day, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 20, 2023
Ms. Matsui (for herself, Ms. Barragan, Mr. Blumenauer, Ms. Bonamici,
Ms. Brownley, Mr. Casten, Ms. Chu, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Cleaver,
Mr. Cohen, Mr. Connolly, Ms. DeGette, Ms. DelBene, Mr. DeSaulnier, Ms.
Eshoo, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Evans, Mrs. Foushee, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Gomez,
Mr. Grijalva, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Kamlager-Dove, Mr. Keating,
Mr. Kildee, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Kuster, Ms. Lee of
California, Mr. Lieu, Mrs. McClellan, Ms. McCollum, Mr. McGovern, Ms.
Meng, Mr. Morelle, Mr. Neguse, Mr. Panetta, Mr. Payne, Mr. Peters, Ms.
Pingree, Ms. Porter, Mr. Quigley, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Sablan, Ms. Salinas,
Ms. Scanlon, Ms. Schakowsky, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Schneider, Mr. Soto, Ms.
Tokuda, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Trone, Ms. Velazquez, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms.
Williams of Georgia, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Ms. Stevens, Ms. Hoyle of
Oregon, and Ms. Stansbury) 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 recent 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 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 governments and peoples around the world to
continue building upon the Paris Agreement and 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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