Competition. We has to students come in the next 20 years whats the most important change you would like to see in america or whats been the most important change in america . We are featuring our top winning entries. This years first Prize Winners 10th graders from Palo Alto High School in palo alto, california, where cspan is available through comcast. There documentary about fast fashion entitled threads of change. Wildfires ravaged our homes. How the wildfire happened. They would be on survivable. But if our governments lost that, perhaps it is time we shift our focus to empowering individuals. We need to transform fear and despair into actionable hope, especially in the choices we make every day. Consider something most of us encounter daily, fast fashion. A relentless cycle of rapidly produced, cheap clothing, enabling companies to almost sell that jacket. Fast fashion has become popular with consumers but it comes at a high cost to our planet. It relies on cheap manufacturing and shortlived garment use. The average american wears their clothes seven times before its thrown out. The fashion industry is responsible for over 10 of all Carbon Emissions and 20 of all global wastewater. That means that across the world, over 120 Million Trees have been cut down for the production of fashion goods. Genes, which are made of denim. They take up a ton of water and a ton of energy to develop. It means the water and die used to treat clothes ends up polluting water, making people sick and causing animals to go extinct at rates never seen before. It is also about our choices as consumers. Because companies are going to respond to what market demands are. As long as consumers dont care, i dont think they are going to care. If we wait for companies to put people in the planet before profit, we might never stop waiting until its too late. So what can we do . Consider how nutritional labels have transformed our eating habits. We are now Conscious Consumers in food aisles, making choices that affect our health and environment. What if clothing had a similar label . It is also a tool for empowerment. Its about giving individuals the information to make sustainable choices, to be part of a larger solution. I dont think you can never go wrong by being a consumer advocate. And thats been one of the hallmarks of my legislative life. Imagine in the next 20 years an america where every clothing choice contributes to a healthier planet, where Consumer Empowerment has turned the tide on climate change, because even though you are just one person when all those people come together, they create a marketplace. They create a social consciousness. They create a public sensibility about what is in is not successful. If we change our buying habits, prioritize quality over quantity, we can start a movement. Ultimately the consumers buying power and exercise of choice will include the industry. People fighting for change created america. They created a place lets take that we wont have to apologize to her grandchildren for having to wear a mask when they go outside or dont have to ask them to imagine polar bears and pandas because we drove them extinct. As america looks toward the next 20 years, the path to change lies in the smallest steps. By recognizing the power of our collective actions, we can turn the tide. This is a blueprint for a better tomorrow, a tapestry woven from our collective action. Its a story of empowering individuals. Together, we have the power to weave the threads of change for a sustainable future. To watch this and all winning entries, visit our website at studentcam. Org. The house will be in order. Cspan celebrates 45 years of covering Congress Like no other. Since 1979, we have been your primary source for capitol hill, providing balanced, unfiltered coverage of government, with policy debated and decided with the support of americas cable companies. Cspan, 45 years and counting, powered by cable. Attorney general Merrick Garland testifying on the president 2025 budget request before a House Appropriations subcommittee. He was questioned on a variety of topics, including Holding China and mexico accountable for their role in a crisis, the new rule for firearm dealers, and the special counsel investigation into president bidens handling of classified documents. This runs just over two hours