Recognizing that oceans are warming due to human-caused climate change.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeMr. Whitehouse (for himself, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Markey, …
Summary
What This Bill Does
This is a non-binding Senate resolution that formally recognizes climate change is causing serious harm to the world's oceans and coastal communities. It does not create any new laws, spending, or regulations - it is a symbolic statement of the Senate's position on ocean warming.
Who Benefits and How
Environmental advocacy groups benefit from official Congressional recognition of climate science, which strengthens their policy arguments.
Climate scientists and marine researchers gain political validation for their work on ocean warming.
Coastal community advocates can use this resolution to support future climate adaptation funding requests.
Note: As a non-binding resolution, this creates no direct economic benefits or burdens.
Who Bears the Burden and How
No direct burdens - This is a purely symbolic resolution with no regulatory, spending, or legal requirements.
Key Provisions
- Recognizes that oceans absorb 14 zettajoules of excess heat annually due to climate change
- Notes that the top 2,000 meters of ocean have gained 372 zettajoules of heat since 1955
- Highlights economic risks including damage to coral reefs (valued at $3.4 billion annually to the US economy)
- Cites health risks from expanding Vibrio bacteria and harmful algal blooms ($10-100 million in annual costs)
- Notes that ocean warming is intensifying hurricanes, making North Atlantic storms an average of 18.6 mph faster
- Formally states that the Senate "recognizes that climate change is imposing serious harms on our oceans and on coastal communities"
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
A Senate resolution recognizing that oceans are warming due to human-caused climate change and imposing serious harms on oceans and coastal communities.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Symbolic recognition of climate change impacts on oceans to build political support for future climate legislation"
Likely Beneficiaries
- Environmental advocacy groups
- Climate scientists
- Coastal community advocates
- Marine conservation organizations
Likely Burden Bearers
- No direct burdens - this is a non-binding resolution
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_senate"
- → United States Senate
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology