Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and, in particular, to honor Earth Day's Founder, the late Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI), whom I am proud to say chose to spend the latter part of his career in my hometown of Kensington, MD. Senator Nelson's public service spanned more than three decades, including two terms as Governor and three terms as Senator from the state of Wisconsin. Although active on issues ranging from civil rights to consumer protection to the Vietnam War, Senator Nelson was perhaps best known for his pioneering advocacy on behalf of the environment. He cosponsored the 1964 Wilderness Act, and successfully fought for legislation protecting the Appalachian Trail, banning DDT and curbing phosphate detergent. In 1970, Senator Nelson's call for a day of education and action on behalf of the environment drew 20 million people from across the United States to participate in the very first Earth Day. Since then, Earth Day has grown to become an international event involving 500 million people from 175 countries around the world. After leaving the Senate in 1981, Senator Nelson joined the Wilderness Society as its first Chairman and continued to serve the organization until shortly before his passing in 2005.…”