WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, praised President Joe Biden for becoming the first sitting president to visit the Amazon rainforest. President Biden also announced an additional $50 million contribution to the Amazon Fund, bringing the total U.S. contribution to $100 million. This renewed contribution follows Chair Cardin and U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer’s (MD-05) joint introduction of the Combatting Global Deforestation Act in the Senate and House of Representatives to authorize $3.5 billion over four years to finance forest conservation and restoration projects in developing countries.
"President Biden’s journey to the Amazon is a landmark gesture of solidarity with the rainforest, its indigenous communities, and the environmental defenders who risk everything to protect it. This vast, biodiverse ecosystem – home to countless species, a critical safeguard for our planet’s climate, and the lifeblood of cultures that have harmonized with nature for generations – holds a significance that transcends borders. I commend President Biden for reaffirming our commitment to conservation and human rights. His visit reminds the world that it can count on American leaders to work towards a just, sustainable future.”
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