[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 551 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 551

  Recognizing that sea levels are rising at accelerated rates due to 
                      human-caused climate change.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           December 17, 2025

 Mr. Whitehouse (for himself, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Markey, Mr. 
   Van Hollen, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Welch, and Ms. Blunt 
 Rochester) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
         the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Recognizing that sea levels are rising at accelerated rates due to 
                      human-caused climate change.

Whereas tide gauges along the coasts of the United States measure accelerating 
        rates of sea-level rise;
Whereas the rate of sea-level rise per year has more than doubled in the past 
        century;
Whereas thermal expansion, or the volume of the ocean that is expanding as 
        seawater warms, is contributing to rising sea levels;
Whereas the thermal expansion of ocean water has caused approximately 56 percent 
        of global sea-level rise since 2014;
Whereas the thermal expansion of seawater can cause greater sea-level 
        variability and unpredictability, increasing the risks for coastal 
        communities;
Whereas thermal expansion of our oceans will affect century-scale acceleration 
        of sea-level rise on the global, regional, and local scales, increasing 
        coastal risks for all people of the United States;
Whereas, depending on greenhouse gas emissions, average sea-level rise could 
        range between 2 and 7.2 feet by 2100;
Whereas, if the Earth warms beyond tipping points or warming thresholds, the 
        Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets will be at risk of 
        destabilization;
Whereas researchers believe that those tipping points could be triggered with as 
        little as 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming;
Whereas the Earth has already warmed by at least 1.2 degrees Celsius, with 
        Greenland warming 4 times faster than the average rate of warming across 
        the globe;
Whereas sea levels are expected to raise by 20 to 25 feet with the melting of 
        the Greenland ice sheet and by 10 to 17 feet with the melting of the 
        West Antarctic ice sheet, and both could happen concurrently;
Whereas 30 percent of people in the United States live in coastal areas and are 
        threatened by rising seas;
Whereas $10,000,000,000,000 of goods and services are produced in coastal 
        counties across the United States every year;
Whereas $8,100,000,000 of the $62,500,000,000 in damage from Hurricane Sandy was 
        caused by increased sea levels;
Whereas 3,700,000 individuals in the contiguous United States live on land less 
        than 3.3 feet above high tide, with most of those individuals residing 
        in Florida, Louisiana, California, New York, and New Jersey;
Whereas high water levels that were once rare 1-in-100-year events are becoming 
        1-in-10-year events due to accelerated sea-level rise;
Whereas sea-level rise will shrink fresh drinking water sources in coastal 
        areas;
Whereas sea-level rise will intensify the flooding effects of hurricanes and 
        strong storms in the United States, costing lives and money, and such 
        effects are already disrupting insurance, mortgage, and real estate 
        markets;
Whereas up to 13,000,000 individuals in the United States could face 
        displacement from rising seas by 2100; and
Whereas sea levels are rising due to fossil fuel emissions: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the Senate recognizes the reality of anthropogenic 
climate change and the role it plays in dangerously raising sea levels.
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