III 111th CONGRESS 2d Session S. CON. RES. 55 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 23, 2010 Mr. Feingold (for himself and Mr. Kohl) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Commemorating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and honoring the founder of Earth Day, the late Senator Gaylord Nelson of the State of Wisconsin.

Whereas Gaylord Nelson, former United States Senator from the State of Wisconsin, is recognized as 1 of the leading environmentalists of the 20th century; Whereas Gaylord Nelson helped launch an international era of environmental awareness and activism; Whereas Gaylord Nelson grew up in Clear Lake, Wisconsin; Whereas Gaylord Nelson maintained and exemplified the progressive values of Clear Lake, Wisconsin while rising to national prominence; Whereas Gaylord Nelson served with distinction— (1)as a Senator in the Wisconsin State Senate from 1949 through 1959; (2)as Governor of the State of Wisconsin from 1959 through 1963; and (3)as a Senator in the United States Senate from 1963 through 1981; Whereas Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day, which was first celebrated on April 22, 1970, by approximately 20,000,000 people across the United States; Whereas, at the time, the first celebration of Earth Day was the largest environmental grassroots event ever held; Whereas, on the first celebration of Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson called on the people of the United States to hold elected officials accountable for protecting the health of the people of the United States and the natural environment; Whereas the first celebration of Earth Day launched the Environmental Decade, an unparalleled period of legislative and grassroots activity that resulted in the passage of 28 major pieces of environmental legislation from 1970 through 1980, including— (1)the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.); (2)the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.); and (3)the National Environmental Education Act (20 U.S.C. 5501 et seq.); Whereas Gaylord Nelson was responsible for legislation that— (1)created the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and the St. Croix Wild and Scenic Riverway; and (2)protected other important natural treasures of the State of Wisconsin and the United States; Whereas Gaylord Nelson sponsored legislation to ban phosphates in household detergents and the use of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT); Whereas Gaylord Nelson worked tirelessly to ensure clean water and clean air for all people of the United States; Whereas, in addition to providing environmental leadership, Gaylord Nelson— (1)fought for civil rights; (2)enlisted in the War on Poverty; (3)challenged drug companies and tire manufacturers to protect consumers; and (4)to defend and protect civil liberties, stood up to Senator Joseph McCarthy, the Un-American Activities Committee of the House of Representatives, and the Nixon Administration; Whereas Gaylord Nelson was a patriot, who as a young soldier honorably served 46 months in the Armed Forces during World War II; Whereas Gaylord Nelson, as a Senator, courageously opposed the Vietnam War and worked to ban the use of the toxic defoliant Agent Orange; Whereas, in 1995, Gaylord Nelson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor awarded to civilians in the United States; Whereas the legacy of Gaylord Nelson has inspired an environmental ethic and an appreciation and understanding of the importance of being good stewards of the environment and the planet in generations of the people of the United States; Whereas Gaylord Nelson was an extraordinary statesman, public servant, environmentalist, husband, father, and friend; and Whereas Gaylord Nelson never let disagreement on the issues become personal or partisan: Now, therefore, be it

That Congress commemorates the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and honors the founder of Earth Day, the late Senator Gaylord Nelson of the State of Wisconsin.