#congress4juliana
as a legislator, show your support for the juliana 21 and take action now!
“As the case moves forward on the road to justice, we call on members of Congress to publicly support Juliana v. United States and the constitutional rights of young people to life, liberty, and property free from government endangerment. We have been calling on the judicial branch to help hold the executive branch of our federal government accountable for its role in causing the climate crisis. Now, it is more critical than ever for the legislative branch to join us, cosponsor the resolution recognizing children’s fundamental rights and the need for climate recovery, and urge the Biden DOJ to immediately address our case. Let’s make this happen.”
~ Vic Barrett, Juliana v. United States plaintiff
If you are not a legislator, learn how to support this campaign here.
The United States government has known about the causes and dangers of climate change for more than half a century. Yet, it continues to promote and protect the major driver of the climate crisis: our national fossil fuel energy system. These actions of the executive branch have endangered young Americans. This is unjust and unconstitutional. That’s why the 21 youth plaintiffs from the Juliana v. United States are suing the federal government for contributing to the climate crisis. The youth seek support from Congress to protect their constitutional rights to life, liberty, property, which includes a climate system capable of sustaining human life.
how you can support the juliana plaintiffs
To show your support for the Juliana v. United States youth plaintiffs right now, right click and save this image and post it on social media with the following caption:
I support the @youthvgov 21 Juliana plaintiffs, climate justice, & science-based natl climate recovery. Young Americans have a constitutional right to life, liberty, property, & a climate system capable of sustaining human life. #ClimateRightsNow #Congress4Juliana
Cosponsor the concurrent resolution recognizing Children’s Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery:
Cosponsor the Children’s Fundamental Rights and Climate Recovery resolution reintroduced by sponsors Senator Merkley and Representatives Schakowsky and Jayapal on July 13, 2023 (S.Con.Res.13, H.Con.Res.56). This important resolution protects the fundamental rights of children in the United States, so that they may have a safe, healthy and livable planet on which to thrive. For more information and to cosponsor the resolution, see the contacts below:
Senate resolution: Contact Ben Schreiber (Ben_Schreiber@merkley.senate.gov) with Senator Merkley’s office.
House resolution: Contact Jaqlyn Alderete (Jaqlyn.Alderete@mail.house.gov) with Representative Schakowsky's office.
Read the press release and what more than 95 members of Congress and more than 145 organizational endorsers have to say about the July 13, 2023 resolution here.
Learn more about the exciting congressional concurrent resolution, which supports the principles underpinning Juliana v. United States and children’s rights to a climate system capable of sustaining human life, its organizational endorsers, and cosponsors, here.
Already a cosponsor? Post a message of support for the resolution and the 21 Juliana youth plaintiffs on your social media using a Social Media Toolkit here (which includes both sample text and social media-ready images).
If you have any questions, please contact Liz Lee at liz@ourchildrenstrust.org.
Other Ways You Can Support the Juliana Plaintiffs:
Sign a future congressional amicus brief in support of the Juliana v. United States plaintiffs (as 24 Senators and Representatives did in a joint amicus brief filed in the Ninth Circuit in March 2020).
Sign future member-led letters to President Biden in support of the fundamental rights of children to a safe climate and the Juliana youth plaintiffs (as 48 Senators and Representatives did by joining Senator Merkley’s letter and Representative Jones’ letter in November 2021. In support of the congressional letters, Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org and Third Act, and Jerome Foster II, the youngest member of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council, delivered a letter to the Department of Justice on behalf of 167 organizations.).
Create and share a video (as Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Ed Markey, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, and Rep. Earl Blumenauer have done).
Make a public statement of support on the floor of the Senate or House.
Contact Liz Lee at liz@ourchildrenstrust.org for more information.