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