while the Senate was out of session, the American people celebrated the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. I would like to take a moment to acknowledge that historic anniversary. We first celebrated Earth Day in 1970 when then-Senator Gaylord Nelson brought more than 20 million Americans together to mobilize in defense of our planet. In the half-century since, our Nation has benefitted from a passionate environmental movement that has pushed lawmakers, businesses, and communities to foster a healthier Earth. While this movement has yielded significant progress, we nonetheless must do more to address the gravest threat to our environment: climate change. I recognize that, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it might be difficult to wrap our heads around a second crisis, but we have an important opportunity here to learn from one global emergency about how to navigate another. The first lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic: We must listen to experts. Public health experts have long forecast the risk of a viral pandemic. Still, our leaders failed to prepare for COVID-19 and even denied the magnitude of the threat we faced when it was at our doorstep. The novel coronavirus has now claimed over 72,000 lives in the United States, a death toll higher than any other country. We are witnessing a parallel problem with climate change. For decades, experts have warned that human-caused climate change is heating the Earth.…
Share
More from Ben Cardin
I come to the floor today to celebrate the 175th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Guatemala and the United States. As we mark this milestone, I want to highlight the strength of the U.S.-Guatemala bilateral relationship today…
I introduced the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act as a way of saying that we will hold abusers accountable even if their own country does not.
I come to the floor today to introduce legislation that's essential for securing America's leadership in the defining geopolitical challenge of our time. Days from now, I will conclude my service as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations…
I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California. Judicial Nominations





