The Department of Environmental Affairs.

To:
The President of the United States
The United States Senate
The United States House of Representatives

Subject: Petition to Establish a Cabinet-Level Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA)

We, the undersigned citizens of the United States, respectfully petition the President and the United States Congress to establish a Cabinet-level Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA).

The gravity of environmental challenges facing our nation and the world—including climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution of air and water, and the transition to sustainable energy—demands a dedicated, high-level, and unified executive agency.

Currently, critical environmental responsibilities are fragmented across numerous agencies, most notably the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but also within the Departments of the Interior, Energy, Agriculture, Commerce, and others. While these agencies perform vital work, this dispersal of authority often leads to:

Lack of Cohesion and Coordination: Conflicting priorities, overlapping jurisdictions, and inefficient resource allocation among departments.

Insufficient Executive Authority: The EPA Administrator, while often treated as a Cabinet-level position, does not hold the statutory rank and unified authority necessary to effectively coordinate national environmental policy across the entire federal government, especially when dealing with other Cabinet Secretaries.

Inadequate National Priority: Environmental concerns are frequently relegated to a secondary status when balanced against economic interests championed by other, fully recognized Cabinet Departments.

A Cabinet-Level Department of Environmental Affairs would:

Elevate Environmental Stewardship: Signal a clear, national commitment to making environmental protection and sustainability a primary pillar of our domestic and foreign policy, equal in importance to defense, finance, and health.

Streamline and Consolidate: Centralize primary environmental management functions, policy development, regulation, and enforcement under a single, cohesive authority, leading to greater efficiency, clarity, and accountability. This could involve consolidating key functions currently housed in the EPA, NOAA, and other agencies.

Enhance Global Leadership: Provide the Secretary of Environmental Affairs with the necessary standing to lead international negotiations and collaborations on climate, conservation, and pollution, strengthening America's position as a global environmental leader.

Promote Integrated Policy: Ensure that environmental sustainability is proactively integrated into all federal policymaking—including infrastructure, trade, energy, and agriculture—rather than being addressed reactively.

We urge the Administration and Congress to recognize the critical necessity of this structural change. The long-term health, economic security, and prosperity of the American people are inextricably linked to the health of our environment. Establishing the Department of Environmental Affairs is a crucial step toward building a sustainable future.

We request that you introduce and support legislation to immediately begin the process of creating this vital new Department.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned Citizens of the United States

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