[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 5997]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     RESOLUTION HONORING EARTH DAY

  (Mr. McEACHIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. McEACHIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the proud sponsor of the 
resolution honoring Earth Day.
  For more than 40 years, people have come together on Earth Day to 
support protections for our air, water, and land, and to increase 
appreciation for Mother Earth.
  But every day, not just on Earth Day, we must renew our commitment to 
preserving our planet.
  One way to do this is by continuing to build upon the Paris Agreement 
and other efforts. That is why countless Americans marched last week 
for science, and that is why even more will turn out for this weekend's 
Climate March.
  It is also the reason why tomorrow I will co-announce the creation of 
the United for Climate Task Force, a voice in Congress for communities 
of color, low-income communities, and other marginalized groups 
disproportionately impacted by environmental injustice.
  Alongside my colleagues Congresswoman Jayapal and Congresswoman 
Barragan, we will promote a Federal agenda that stands for 
environmental justice.
  The task force will strive to protect the rights of all to clean air, 
safe water, healthy communities, equal protection from the 
environmental and health hazards, and guaranteed access to the 
decisionmaking process.
  Like those who celebrated Earth Day in 1970, we have a shared 
responsibility to ensure that future generations inherit a livable, 
sustainable, and ecologically rich planet.

                          ____________________