IV 

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. BARRAGA ́N, 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. 

VELA ́ZQUEZ, 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 


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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 


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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; 


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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 


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Whereas Earth Day reminds us that we must not pass a 

world beyond repair to our children: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) urges the President to issue a proclamation 

3 recognizing Earth Day; 

4 (2) encourages the American people to mark 

5 Earth Day by working— 

6 (A) to address environmental challenges 

7 large and small, from climate change to litter; 

8 (B) to uplift indigenous environmental 

9 knowledge and stewardship practices; 

10 (C) to educate their friends, neighbors, and 

11 elected representatives about the need for year12 round action; and 

13 (D) to otherwise honor the stewardship 

14 ethic for which Senator Gaylord Nelson stood; 

15 (3) urges governments and peoples around the 

16 world to continue building upon the Paris Agree17 ment and other efforts to ensure that future genera18 tions inherit a livable, sustainable, and ecologically 

19 rich planet Earth; and 

20 (4) reaffirms that immediate action is needed to 

21 reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ameliorate en22 vironmental injustices in order to protect the Earth, 


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1 the public health, and the overall well-being of all 

2 people and wildlife. 

Æ 


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