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. KIL-
MER, 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 Com-
mittee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in 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, 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 
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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 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; 
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Whereas, in 2022, Congress passed what is commonly re-
ferred to as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the 
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 recent legislative actions have demonstrated 
the capacity for climate investments to strengthen Amer-
ican industry, support resilient supply chains, build crit-
ical infrastructure, and generate economic opportunity; 
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-
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 
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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 
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 Agree-
ment and other efforts to ensure that future genera-
tions inherit a livable, sustainable, and ecologically 
rich planet Earth; and 
(4) reaffirms that immediate action is needed to 
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ameliorate en-
vironmental injustices in order to protect the Earth, 
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the public health, and the overall well-being of all 
people and wildlife. 
Æ 
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