[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1208 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1208
Expressing support for honoring Earth Day, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 22, 2026
Ms. Matsui (for herself, Mr. Neguse, Ms. McClellan, Mr. Cohen, Ms.
Barragan, Mr. Bell, Ms. Bonamici, Ms. Brownley, Mr. Carbajal, Mr. Case,
Mr. Casten, Ms. Chu, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr. Cleaver, Mrs. Watson
Coleman, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Ms. DelBene, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr.
Espaillat, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Foushee, Ms. Friedman, Mr.
Gomez, Mrs. Grijalva, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Jayapal, Mr.
Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lieu, 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. Simon, Mr. Soto, Ms. Stevens, Mr. Thanedar, Ms. Titus, Ms. Tlaib,
Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Vargas, Ms. Velazquez, Mr. Walkinshaw, 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 and 2022, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and
Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, which made foundational
investments in clean drinking water, climate smart agriculture and
forestry, clean transportation and zero-emission vehicles, clean energy,
energy efficiency, resilient infrastructure, pollution cleanup, and
reducing industrial pollution;
Whereas these landmark laws were poised to strengthen American industry, create
over one million good-paying jobs, reduce household utility bills and
the cost of living, and build critical infrastructure projects in
communities across the country;
Whereas the One Big Beautiful Bill Act repealed, sunset, or undermined key
sections of the Inflation Reduction Act, upending the American economy,
driving up electricity prices, and worsening the cost of living crisis,
while also exposing Americans to the increasingly catastrophic impacts
of climate change;
Whereas recent Executive Branch actions to withhold, reprogram, or rescind
billions of dollars in climate investments from the Infrastructure
Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act have further
weakened American industry, undermined critical infrastructure, and
slowed progress toward a more resilient economy;
Whereas the rollback of environmental regulations by Executive Agencies will
pollute the air and contaminate the water of the United States,
jeopardizing the health of Americans for years to come;
Whereas the repeal of the greenhouse gas endangerment finding will leave
communities across the United States more vulnerable to the effects of
climate change, including extreme heat, severe storms, flooding, and
wildfire;
Whereas the withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and the proposed withdrawal from
the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and other international
organizations will cede American leadership in the global effort to
protect the environmental health of the planet;
Whereas amid this unprecedented assault on clean air, clean water, and
environmental sustainability, the mission and purpose of Earth Day is
more relevant than ever;
Whereas Earth Day inspires us to fight for our country, for our communities, for
our neighbors, and for our 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 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; 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) 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; and
(4) 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.
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