[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 58 (Thursday, April 22, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2595-S2596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           TEXT OF AMENDMENTS

  SA 3729. Mr. COBURN proposed an amendment to the concurrent 
resolution H. Con. Res. 255, commemorating the 40th anniversary of 
Earth Day and honoring the founder of Earth Day, the late Senator 
Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin; as follows:

       Strike the preamble and insert the following:
       Whereas Gaylord Nelson, former United States Senator from 
     Wisconsin, is recognized as one of the leading 
     environmentalists of the 20th Century who helped launch an 
     international era of environmental awareness and activism;

[[Page S2596]]

       Whereas Gaylord Nelson grew up in Clear Lake, Wisconsin, 
     and rose to national prominence while exemplifying the 
     progressive values instilled in him;
       Whereas Gaylord Nelson served with distinction in the 
     Wisconsin State Senate from 1949 to 1959, as Governor of the 
     State of Wisconsin from 1959 to 1963, and in the United 
     States Senate from 1963 to 1981;
       Whereas Gaylord Nelson founded Earth Day, which was first 
     celebrated on April 22, 1970, by 20 million people across the 
     United States, making the celebration the largest 
     environmental grassroots event in history at that time;
       Whereas Gaylord Nelson called on Americans to hold their 
     elected officials accountable for protecting their health and 
     the natural environment on that first Earth Day, an action 
     which launched the Environmental Decade, an unparalleled 
     period of legislative and grassroots activity that resulted 
     in passage of 28 major pieces of environmental legislation 
     from 1970 to 1980, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean 
     Water Act, and the National Environmental Education Act;
       Whereas Gaylord Nelson was responsible for legislation that 
     created the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and the St. 
     Croix Wild and Scenic Riverway and protected other important 
     Wisconsin and national treasures;
       Whereas Gaylord Nelson sponsored legislation to ban 
     phosphates in household detergents and he worked tirelessly 
     to ensure clean water and clean air for all Americans;
       Whereas in addition to his environmental leadership, 
     Gaylord Nelson fought for civil rights;
       Whereas Gaylord Nelson was a patriot, who as a young 
     soldier honorably served 46 months in the Armed Forces during 
     World War II, and then, as Senator, worked to ban the use of 
     the toxic defoliant Agent Orange;
       Whereas, in 1995, Gaylord Nelson was awarded the highest 
     honor accorded civilians in the United States, the 
     Presidential Medal of Freedom;
       Whereas Gaylord Nelson's legacy includes generations of 
     Americans who have grown up with an environmental ethic and 
     an appreciation and understanding of their roles as stewards 
     of the environment and the planet; and
       Whereas Gaylord Nelson was an extraordinary statesman, 
     public servant, environmentalist, husband, father, and 
     friend, and who never let disagreement on the issues become 
     personal or partisan:

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