[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 58 (Thursday, April 22, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2596-S2600]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            COMMEMORATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF EARTH DAY

  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 255, which was 
received from the House.

[[Page S2597]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A 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.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
concurrent resolution.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, today is the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, 
a day set aside to appreciate the environment. In 1970, Senator Gaylord 
Nelson from Wisconsin recognized the power of campus activism and 
established Earth Day as a way to highlight the environmental problems 
this Nation faced--air pollution from factories, water pollution from 
unregulated discharges, and toxic waste dumps. After Congress passed 
legislation to designate April 22 as Earth Day, Congress passed several 
bills to protect the environment including the Clean Water Acts, the 
National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, the Federal Pesticides Act, the 
Clean Air Act, the Environmental Education Act, and the National Hiking 
Trails and the National Scenic Trails Acts.
  Because Michigan is surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes, the 
problems plaguing the lakes have an enormous impact on Michigan. A 
generation ago, the Great Lakes were a huge reservoir of persistent 
toxic substances, but they have improved markedly since that time. The 
Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, estimates that the Great Lakes 
Critical Programs Act, which I sponsored in 1990, has reduced direct 
toxic water discharges by millions of pounds per year. In addition, 
since 2002, the EPA estimates that close to 900,000 cubic yards of 
contaminated sediment have been removed under the Great Lakes Legacy 
Act at 5 of the 31 U.S. ``Areas of Concern'' in the Great Lakes, 
thirteen of which are found in Michigan.
  While the Great Lakes have made strides in recovering, historical 
problems still exist and new problems are on the horizon. There are 
still hundreds of fish advisories issued every year; the number of 
beach closings remains high; Lake Erie is once again experiencing a 
``dead zone'' from high levels of phosphorus; and a new invasive 
species enters the Great Lakes about every 8 months. Last year, 
Congress provided $475 million for comprehensive Great Lakes 
restoration efforts.
  Because of its industrial past, Michigan has faced some challenges 
with contaminated properties, including complications related to 
redevelopment. This is why I have also long been a supporter of 
brownfields redevelopment and smart growth efforts, which connect 
environmental goals with economic and community development objectives. 
In 1999, I joined my former colleague, Senator Jim Jeffords to form the 
Senate Smart Growth Task Force. The task force serves as a forum for 
Senators interested in sustainable and sensible growth, and has 
supported locally driven, federally supported smart growth practices.
  Supporting and enjoying Michigan's parks and trails are also 
important aspects of this Earth Day celebration. Last year, I helped 
establish the Beaver Basin area as Wilderness at Pictured Rocks 
National Lakeshore and I am currently working on another Wilderness 
designation in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. It is 
important for the public to have access to these areas so they can 
enjoy magnificent vistas, quiet streams, freshwater lakes, forests and 
prairies, and other natural beauty. To promote access and conservation, 
I have also worked to improve the North Country National Scenic Trail, 
which runs through Michigan, by helping to provide ``willing seller 
authority'' to help the trail be completed more quickly. When 
completed, the trail will span seven States and roughly 4,600 miles, 
approximately 1,000 miles of which will be located in Michigan, 
preserving critical outdoor recreational opportunities while providing 
a boost to the local economies along the trail.
  Michigan is blessed to have so many natural resources. It is 
important that we recognize that we are just temporary stewards and 
that we protect and restore our resources for current and future 
generations.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, today our Nation marks the 40th anniversary 
of Earth Day. For four decades, Americans have joined together on April 
22 to celebrate our environment and to commit ourselves to fostering a 
healthier world. What Senator Gaylord Nelson began as a grassroots 
response to widespread environmental degradation in the 1970s has grown 
to become the foundation of the modern environmental movement and an 
annual recognition of Earth Day. For 40 years, Americans have used this 
day to organize events and participate in activities to draw attention 
to environmental issues and to promote environmental awareness and 
reform. Today, on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, we can be proud of 
the many steps we have taken to clean up the environment. With the hard 
work and dedication of many, we have made progress. But there is more 
work to be done and we are facing many new threats.
  Now for the first time since the passage of the landmark 
environmental laws of the 1970s, we are close to making significant 
strides to address environmental, climate, and energy-related issues. 
Bipartisan legislation is being developed in both the House of 
Representatives and the Senate, and significant steps have been taken 
already by this administration to ease the impact of human activities 
on the natural world, for our benefit, and for the benefit of 
generations to come. We do not have to choose between creating jobs and 
protecting the environment or between jobs and solving climate change. 
The economy of the 21st century will be built on infrastructure powered 
by clean energy, and, as Gaylord Nelson once wrote, ``all economic 
activity depends upon the . . . air, water, soil, forest, minerals, 
wetlands, rivers, lakes, oceans, wildlife habitat, and scenic beauty.'' 
These, he said, ``are the accumulated capital resources of a nation. 
Take them away and what you have left is a wasteland.''
  Today, as the world pauses to consider the awe-inspiring power of our 
choices, let us reflect on what we stand to lose if we fail to act and 
what we stand to gain if we make the commitment to improve the air, 
water, and land upon which we depend. It is clear that Earth Day is not 
about the next government proclamation or regulation; this day is about 
the actions of individuals the amazing power of one person to 
accomplish change.
  The threats to our planet are global; they are broad and 
overwhelming. But they are also very personal. The choices we make 
today will shape our world for generations to come. Though it may seem 
improbable to suggest that each person has the power to make a change, 
in saving our planet and improving our communities, it is certainly 
true.
  It is estimated that by the year 2050, 40 years from now, the global 
population will be 9.4 billion people, adding more strain to our 
ecosystems. If personal responsibility for the Earth is truly as simple 
as conserving water, choosing public transportation or carpooling 
whenever possible, making your home more energy efficient, buying local 
sustainably produced food, recycling and reusing goods, there is little 
reason for any of us to deny our individual power to bring about 
change.
  It is all too easy to imagine that the problems people currently face 
are a world away--across an ocean, on other continents. It is too easy 
to imagine problems such as a lack of clean water, vicious storms, and 
insufficient food supplies as not our own. I know that when it comes to 
the future of the Earth, the continent that seems so removed could just 
as easily be my backyard. On this 40th Earth Day, I am proud to call 
Vermont, the Green Mountain State, my home, and Vermont has been a 
leader in helping to show the way forward in protecting the Earth.
  As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, each of us can 
renew our commitment to our planet--our home. We can use our power as 
individuals to work together toward a cleaner environment and a 
healthier planet. As part of the legacy we leave for our children and 
our grandchildren, let them enjoy a society that is secure in its 
commitment to a healthy and environmentally sound future. On this 40th 
anniversary of Earth Day, while we remember the pioneering spirit of 
Gaylord Nelson, we must honor his legacy and continue turning his words 
into action.

[[Page S2598]]

  Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, today I rise to recognize one of our most 
prominent Wisconsinites, Gaylord Nelson, the founder of Earth Day.
  On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans paused for a day to celebrate 
our planet and press for the urgent actions needed to preserve and 
protect it. As we observe this 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day, 
we once again reflect on the necessity of a clean and safe environment, 
celebrate the successes of the last four decades, and consider the long 
way we still must go to achieve the goals laid out that day.
  In Wisconsin, we also stop to remember and honor one of our most 
prominent citizens.
  Earth Day was born out of the passion of Gaylord Nelson. His life was 
one of service from the Pacific theater during World War II, to the 
State House as a State Senator and Governor, and to Washington, DC 
where he served Wisconsin as a U.S. Senator for nearly 20 years.
  When Gaylord came to Washington, he did so with a mission to bring 
environmental causes to the forefront of the national debate. He 
believed that the cause of environmentalism needed as much attention as 
national defense. For his first years in the Senate, his cause was 
lonely. In 1966, his bill to ban the pesticide DDT garnered no 
cosponsors.
  Gaylord knew that only with the grassroots support of regular 
Americans, could the environmental agenda rise to prominence. His idea 
for Earth Day came from the student teach-ins of the 1960s, but his 
cause inspired people across boundaries of age, race and location. This 
year, more than one billion people around the world will come together 
in the same way they did 40 years ago.
  In a speech on that historic day in 1970, Gaylord noted that his goal 
was not just one of clean air and water, but also ``an environment of 
decency, quality and mutual respect for all other human beings and all 
other living creatures.'' He told the crowd that America could meet the 
challenge through our technology. The unanswered question was, he said, 
``Are we willing?''
  That question was answered with a resounding yes. That year saw the 
creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the 
Clean Air Act. In 1972, 6 years after Gaylord Nelson stood alone on his 
proposed DDT ban, its use was ended. Later years would bring better 
protection of drinking water, emissions and efficiency standards for 
cars, programs to cleanup brownfields sites, and the protection and 
preservation of our forests, rivers, mountains and oceans.
  Despite that progress and I imagine Gaylord would be the first to 
note this we still have much work ahead of us. We must use this 
anniversary to commit to another environmental decade. The needs of 40 
years ago cleaner water, cleaner air, more protection of our lands are 
still here, but the next challenge we must face is climate change.
  From lower lake levels, to more invasive species, the consequences of 
unchecked climate change could be devastating to the people of 
Wisconsin. Climate change isn't just a threat, it is also an 
opportunity. Structured correctly, the solutions to slowing climate 
change can also speed up our economic recovery.
  Remarkable research and development is happening today in Wisconsin 
on products for cleaner water, advanced battery technology, and using 
waste from farms and forests to make advanced biofuels. We have 
companies developing products to harness the power of the sun to 
replace traditional interior lighting, retrofitting heavy-duty trucks 
into hybrids, and manufacturing energy-efficient hot water heaters.
  In Congress, legislative work to address climate change is ongoing. 
With the right mixture of requirements and incentives, we can achieve a 
policy that reduces our dependence on foreign oil, cuts greenhouse gas 
emissions, lowers prices at the pump and on the electricity bill, and 
creates good-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced.
  We do not have to choose between the environment and the economy, 
between jobs and solving climate change. Gaylord Nelson made this point 
over and over again. He once wrote that ``all economic activity depends 
upon the air, water, soil, forest, minerals, wetlands, rivers, lakes, 
oceans, wildlife habitats, and scenic beauty.'' These, he said, ``are 
the accumulated capital resources of the nation. Take them away and 
what you have left is a wasteland.''
  On this 40th anniversary of Earth Day, while we remember the 
pioneering sprit of Gaylord Nelson, we must honor his legacy by turning 
words into action.
  Ms. SNOWE. Mr. President, 40 years ago, Senator Gaylord Nelson 
attempted to bring attention to a degraded environment through a day 
dedicated to our planet. On April 22, 1970, environmental issues, as 
they are today, were challenging oxygen levels in the Androscoggin 
River in my great state of Maine frequently reached zero during the 
summer, resulting in the death of nearly all fish and other aquatic 
life in the river and carbon monoxide and ozone emissions significantly 
degraded our country's air quality. The environmental, economic, and 
personal costs of a failure to recognize the benefits of a healthy 
environment had reached a tipping point for many American citizens who 
demanded action both through greater awareness of personal 
environmental decisions and through new public laws. Millions of 
Americans, as Senator Nelson said, ``organized themselves'' to not only 
protest the degradation of our environment, but also to educate each 
other on personal steps to reduce waste, increase recycling, and 
together improve the condition of environment around us.
  Four decades later, Earth Day serves as a consequential reminder of 
what we have achieved since 1970, and what we still have left to 
accomplish, especially as we evaluate the current state of our 
environment. In that light, on this Earth Day, as the ranking member of 
Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, I held a hearing on the 
threat of acidification on the largest ecosystems of the world, our 
oceans. And while the expert witnesses outlined the daunting hurdles of 
this 21st century challenge to our lobster industry and the beautiful 
coral reefs of the world, it is encouraging at the same time to reflect 
upon the past challenges we've met that seemed insurmountable.
  In 1970, there were less than 50 bald eagle nesting pairs in Maine, 
today there are at least 477. This extraordinary increase came to 
fruition through a combination of the federal banning of DDT and a 
concerted effort by Mainers who volunteered to track our sacred 
national symbol and conserve its habitat. Furthermore, just last year, 
the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and 
Wildlife remarkably and thankfully was able to recommend the removal of 
the Bald Eagle from Maine's list of Endangered and Threatened Species. 
It was a combination of dedicated attention by Mainers as well as 
public policies that made this success a reality. And in Maine's iconic 
rivers and waterways fish are returning and our air quality has 
improved.
  Nationally, for nearly 10 years, I have been pleased to join forces 
with my good friend and colleague, Senator Dianne Feinstein, to 
implement technology available today and raise fuel economy standards 
for our Nation's automobile fleet. And finally, in 2007 we passed 
legislation that will cut air pollution, reduce our consumption of 
foreign oil, and save money at the gas pump which will be of benefit to 
everyone, especially those in the rural parts of my state. And earlier 
this month, these rules were finalized and will save 1.8 billion 
barrels of oil over the life of cars and trucks sold between the 2012 
and 2016 model years. This welcomed and long overdue advancement will 
reduce greenhouse gas emissions from our vehicles by 21 percent by 2030 
and represents the most significant effort so far to combat climate 
change.
  When we commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day in just 10 
years from now, let it be said that in 2010, we made great strides in 
improving our energy efficiency in our homes and offices, we reduced 
the number of miles that we drive on a weekly basis, we mitigated 
carbon dioxide emissions, and we reduced the amount of oil we import. 
Above all, let us hope we can look back and say we were able to forge 
comprehensive energy legislation that spoke not just to our goals for 
protecting the environment and harnessing new sources for energy, for 
ensuring greater not lesser energy

[[Page S2599]]

independence, but that reflected once again the hallmark vision, 
ingenuity, and can-do spirit that have always driven this great land 
for whom no task is too daunting and no adversity too steep.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, earlier today--the 40th Anniversary 
of Earth Day--on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, I test drove the 
energy-efficient, fuel cell-powered Chevy Cruze.
  Across Ohio, next-generation fuel-efficient vehicles are being built. 
GM recently announced that its plant in Lordstown, OH--near Youngstown 
in Trumball County--would bring back a third shift of workers to the 
assembly line to build the Cruze.
  Twelve hundred jobs are expected to be created building this new line 
of fuel-efficient cars that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil 
and reduce the pollution of our air.
  Forty years ago, many were hard-pressed to see how environmental and 
economic objectives could coexist.
  The Cuyahoga River burned in Cleveland and oil spills marred the 
beaches of Santa Barbara.
  With Lake Erie dying, Americans demanded an end to the polluted air 
and water that threatened the public health and safety of our Nation.
  Such tragedies served as catalysts that established the Environmental 
Protection Agency, EPA, passed the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts, and 
formed a public and political conscience to safeguard our environment.
  Today, the Cuyahoga River--41 years after the fire--is cleaner and 
healthier; more than 60 different fish species are thriving, and 
countless families are again enjoying its natural beauty.
  The modern environmental movement was marked by the efforts of 
citizens demanding that their government protect our health by 
protecting our environment.
  Like so many times throughout our Nation's history, citizen activism 
served as vehicle for change.
  The 1960s, the third progressive era of the 20th century, was defined 
by passage of Medicare and Medicaid, the Higher Education Act, the 
Voting Rights Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the 
Civil Rights Act.
  Rachel Carson's 1962 ``Silent Spring'' helped the environmental 
movement educate elected officials and industry leaders about threats 
to human safety and the importance of environmental sustainability.
  U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin persuaded President Kennedy 
to raise the importance of the conservation through a 5-day, 11 State 
tour in September 1963.
  Senator Nelson took the energy of that tour and found it mirrored 
across the country in the public's desire for cleaner air and water.
  Today, we celebrate Senator Nelson's vision of Earth Day--how his 
teach-ins and grassroots plea translated the public's concern for the 
environment into political action.
  On April 22, 1970, after years of planning, Earth Day activities 
stretched from college campuses, to city parks, to community halls 
across the country.
  That citizen call to action spurred decades worth of environmental 
protections that have improved the health of our Nation's air, streams, 
lakes, and rivers.
  Today, Earth Day is celebrated around the world. And today, our 
college campuses are once again spurring our Nation's environmental 
innovation.
  In northeastern Ohio, Oberlin College built one of the Nation's 
first--and at the time the largest--solar-powered building in the 
Nation. The college is also working with the city of Oberlin to develop 
green spaces and energy efficient living.
  Baldwin Wallace has one of the Nation's only academic programs 
strictly devoted to sustainability practices.
  Case Western is partnering with the Cleveland Foundation to build the 
world's first wind turbines in fresh water.
  In northwestern Ohio, the University of Toledo's Clean and 
Alternative Energy Incubator has helped entrepreneurs and business make 
Toledo a national leader in solar energy jobs.
  Bowling Green State University has the first and largest commercial 
scale wind farm in Ohio and the Midwest.
  In Central Ohio, the Ohio State University is partnering with 
Battelle and Edison Welding to develop cutting-edge advanced 
alternative energy sources.
  In southern Ohio, Ohio University is conducting a full-scale wind-
data collection project in Appalachia to identify the best wind-energy 
resources within a 2,000-square-mile 7-county region.
  And just this week the University of Cincinnati was named one of the 
greenest universities in the country.
  Across Ohio, from Youngstown State University to Akron University to 
the University of Dayton and Stark State Community College, Ohio's 
campuses continue to be a breeding ground of innovation.
  The activism and expertise of our students and entrepreneurs mark 
tremendous progress toward a more sustainable environment.
  It is a progress that has led to the largest investment in clean 
energy and environmental sustainability in our Nation's history.
  The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is making historic 
investments to make our water and sewer systems safer, our clean energy 
sources more affordable and available.
  And Ohio's history of manufacturing excellence and cutting edge 
entrepreneurs is leading the Nation in Recovery Act funds used for 
clean energy.
  For four decades, the environmental movement has made clear that 
without action, we face dangerous consequences. We risk the health of 
citizens, the viability of our coastal areas, and the productivity of 
our State's farms, forests, and fisheries.
  We risk our long-term economic and national security.
  Yet no longer do environmental and economic objectives conflict with 
each other. No longer do we needlessly pick winners and losers among 
regions, workers, and industries.
  We have seen how despite our population growing by 50 percent in the 
past 40 years and the number of cars on the road having doubled over 
that same time, our air is 60 percent cleaner than at the time of the 
first Earth day in 1970, all while our economy has grown like no other 
in the history of the world.
  Done right, our Nation can become energy independent, improve its 
global competitiveness, and create new jobs and technologies for our 
workforce.
  As we plant the seeds for economic growth--for new jobs in new 
industries--we are also planting the seeds for a cleaner, more 
sustainable environment.
  And that is what Earth Day represents--for workers making the Cruze 
in Lordstown or activists continuing to push for a cleaner environment.
  Earth Day reminds us to call upon our history of innovation and 
perseverance to usher in a new era of prosperity for our Nation and 
sustainability for our plant.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I rise today to mark the 40th anniversary 
of Earth Day. Started in 1970 by Wisconsin's Senator Gaylord Nelson as 
an environmental teach-in, Earth Day has become a global event. More 
than 20 million people participated in the first Earth Day and that 
number has grown to over 500 million in 175 countries.
  Since the first Earth Day, the United States has made significant 
strides in improving the quality of our environment--our air, our 
water, our land, and our natural resources. The days of having to turn 
on street lights in downtown Pittsburgh at noon because of the 
pollution emitted by coal plants, steel mills, and other industries are 
long gone.
  No longer does the Cuyahoga River in Ohio catch fire due to the 
uncontrolled discharge of oil and other pollutants. Long gone too is 
the mining of coal and other minerals without regard to the impact on 
land or water. And today, one can hike through Yellowstone National 
Park or the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and hear the howling of wolves, 
a species that was almost completely wiped out in the lower 48 States. 
These are just a few examples of how our Nation has embraced the 
tenants of environmental awareness put forth on that first Earth Day in 
1970.
  Let me relate to you another story of our Nation's environmental 
progress that is a source of particular pride for Pennsylvanians. 
Rachel Carson is considered one of the pioneers of the environmental 
movement in the United States. Ms. Carson was born in 1907 and grew up 
on a small family farm near Springdale in western Pennsylvania,

[[Page S2600]]

went to the Pennsylvania College for Women in Pittsburgh, which later 
became Chatham College, and completed her M.A. in zoology at Johns 
Hopkins University. She began her career as a biologist with what was 
then the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries.
  Her seminal work in 1962, Silent Spring, brought to the forefront the 
dangers of DDT and other pesticides. DDT was a major cause of decline 
in the population of birds of prey, including the peregrine falcon. 
Because of the efforts of Ms. Carson and others, DDT was eventually 
banned from use in the United States in 1972. Today, peregrine falcons 
have returned to much of their former range, including a pair of 
falcons that have been nesting on the Pennsylvania Department of 
Environmental Protection office tower in Harrisburg, which fittingly, 
is named the Rachel Carson Building.
  Ms. Carson's call to action on the environment was also a driving 
force behind a 1972 amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution clearly 
articulates the right of Pennsylvania's citizens to clean air, pure 
water, and the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and 
esthetic values of the environment, and ensuring these rights to 
generations yet to come.
  The first Earth Day was also a major impetus for our Nation to move 
forward with a myriad of Federal legislation--including the Clean Water 
Act, Clean Air Act, Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act, and the 
Endangered Species Act--that provided the regulatory framework for 
America to be a world leader in environmental stewardship.
  Just as importantly, we have seen since the first Earth Day that 
environmental protection can go hand-in-hand with economic growth. 
According to US EPA, since 1980, total emissions of six principal air 
pollutants--carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic 
compounds, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide--decreased by 54 
percent.
  And during this same period, gross domestic product, GDP, increased 
by more than 126 percent while the U.S. population grew by 34 percent, 
clearly demonstrating that we can maintain a strong, robust economy 
while at the same time protecting and promoting a safe and healthy 
environment for all Americans.
  Today, as a nation, we need to applaud the accomplishments we have 
made since the first Earth Day in improving the quality of our air, 
water, and land. But we also need to acknowledge that the task of 
protecting our environment is far from complete.
  The remaining challenges are many. Nutrient pollution is still a 
concern for the Chesapeake Bay and other waterways. Mercury from large 
stationary sources still threatens the health of our Nation's 
vulnerable population of infants and pregnant woman. And many of our 
urban areas still exceed national standards for air quality.
  But the most daunting environmental challenge today is climate 
change. The scientific evidence about the threat of climate change 
cannot be disputed. We must move forward with climate and energy 
legislation that will put us on a path that ends our unsustainable 
reliance on foreign energy. A path that will create new, clean energy 
jobs and that will regain our competitive edge over countries like 
China, which is out-investing us and out-innovating us when it comes to 
new energy technologies. A path that regains control of our 
environment, our economy, and our national security.
  Let me close with a quote from Rachel Carson. It goes, ``Those who 
contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will 
endure as long as life lasts.'' So, as we celebrate Earth Day today, 
let us all take a moment to consider the beauty and wonder of the 
natural world around us.
  And let us use the strength we take away from these moments to 
continue to preserve and protect our Nation's rich natural history and 
environment for our children and grandchildren. So that future 
generations will always have a clean environment, a robust economy, and 
a secure Nation.
  Mr. CASEY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent 
resolution be agreed to; that a Coburn substitute amendment to the 
preamble be agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; the 
motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening 
action or debate, and that any statements relating to the measure be 
printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 255) was agreed to.
  The amendment (No. 3729) was agreed to, 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;
       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:

  The preamble, as amended, was agreed to.

                          ____________________