[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 60 (Tuesday, April 27, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H2906-H2907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL HEALTHY SCHOOLS DAY
Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1280) expressing the support of the House of
Representatives for the goals and ideals of National Healthy Schools
Day, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1280
Whereas there are approximately 55,000,000 children and
7,000,000 adults who spend their days in the Nation's more
than 125,000 public and private schools;
Whereas children spend an average of 30 to 50 hours per
week in school;
Whereas one-third of public school principals report that
some environmental factors interfere with classroom
instruction;
Whereas some environmental hazards that are common in
schools include unsafe drinking water, ventilation problems
and poor indoor environmental quality which are associated
with a wide range of problems that include poor
concentration, poor attendance, lower student test scores,
respiratory illnesses, cancer, and other safety hazards;
Whereas about 9 percent of the Nation's students have
asthma, which is a leading cause of school absenteeism and is
aggravated by poor air quality and ventilation problems;
Whereas healthy and high performance schools are designed
to improve indoor environments and other environmental
factors by improving ventilation, providing for moisture and
mold controls, temperature and humidity controls, as well as
acoustics and noise controls, and other design elements;
Whereas healthy and high performance schools provide a
healthier and safer learning environment for children and
improved academic achievement and well-being;
Whereas National Healthy Schools Day is an important day to
celebrate and promote healthy and green school environments
for all children;
Whereas National Healthy Schools Day is coordinated by
Healthy Schools Network in collaboration with the
Environmental Protection Agency and the Council of
Educational Facility Planners--International and is
celebrated on the first day of School Building Week; and
Whereas April 26, 2010, would be an appropriate day to
designate as ``National Healthy Schools Day'': Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the designation of National Healthy Schools
Day; and
(2) supports the goals and ideals of this day which include
the promotion of healthy and safe places to learn.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Woolsey) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California.
General Leave
Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res.
1280 into the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from California?
There was no objection.
Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1280, a resolution
recognizing the goals and ideals of National Healthy Schools Day.
Every year we celebrate National Healthy Schools Day to promote
healthy and green school environments for all children. Across the
country, more than 55 million children and 7 million adults spend their
days in over 125,000 public and private schools in the United States.
That is why it is essential that we recognize the importance of healthy
learning environments. This year, National Healthy Schools Day 2010
focuses on the importance of good indoor air quality, nontoxic cleaning
supplies, and environmentally friendly building materials.
The need for healthy schools is clear. Scientific studies show that
poor environmental conditions in schools harm students' health and
academic achievement. On the other hand, healthy
[[Page H2907]]
schools help students reach their maximum potential. According to the
United States Environmental Protection Agency, more than half of the
schools in the U.S. have problems linked to unhealthy indoor air
quality. Too many school districts struggle with the poor physical
condition of their facilities, and this reality has only become worse
because of the fiscal crisis affecting our country.
Schools in urban and rural areas are often overcrowded, unhealthy,
inadequately maintained, and reduce quality learning. Healthy school
environments encourage better school attendance and participation. Kids
who feel healthy are more likely to stay in school. Healthy schools
also encourage students to spend time at school for extracurricular
activities, which is a key part of President Obama's goal to make our
schools the community centers that they should and could be. All
students deserve dry, clean, and quiet facilities with good indoor air,
lighting and sanitation.
National Healthy Schools Day highlights simple steps we can take that
can improve school environments for our children. This year's healthy
schools campaign focuses on the importance of green, nontoxic cleaning
products. Approximately 25 percent of chemicals in cleaning products
used in schools are toxic and contribute to poor indoor air quality,
smog, cancer, asthma and other diseases. Simply replacing toxic
products with all natural cleaners could immediately improve the health
of our students.
Additionally, Mr. Speaker, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
provides guides and assessments on their Web site to help schools
improve indoor air quality. National Healthy Schools Day raises
awareness of tools like these to help make our schools healthier and
safer for kids.
Mr. Speaker, this resolution in support of National Healthy Schools
Day serves to recognize the importance of healthy, safe, and green
learning environments in our Nation's schools. I thank the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Tonko) for introducing this resolution, and I urge
my colleagues to support this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1280 expressing the
support of the House of Representatives for the goals and ideals of
National Healthy Schools Day. Most parents recognize the importance of
keeping their children healthy, and strive to do so. National Healthy
Schools Day recognizes the important role that schools also play in
keeping students healthy and ready to learn.
Approximately 55 million children spend 30-50 hours a week in our
Nation's schools. Local communities strive to make their school
buildings places that support positive environments in which learning
can thrive. For example, by taking steps to improve indoor air quality,
school districts can decrease irritants in the air that may aggravate
asthma and allergies in some children. Districts are also responsible
for ensuring that school buildings are safe from physical danger and
that all children will be protected during their time at school.
National Healthy Schools Day promotes schools that support parents'
efforts to ensure their children are safe and healthy whether at home
or at school.
I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring local schools that
meet the commitment to keeping all children healthy and safe.
I have no additional requests for time, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to recognize the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Tonko), the author of this legislation, for as much
time as he may consume.
Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from California and
the gentleman from Wisconsin. I rise today in support of H. Res. 1280,
a resolution that I introduced to recognize National Healthy Schools
Day. National Healthy Schools Day recognizes the importance of having a
clean, healthy and safe indoor environment in our Nation's schools.
Each day millions of students, teachers, and staff go to work and
school in our Nation's schools. Not all of these are healthy
environments, especially for our young children. The EPA estimates that
up to one-half of those schools have problems with indoor air quality.
And 32 million students attend schools that have self-reported
environmental problems with their facilities that can affect our
children's health and learning.
Indoor air quality is one of the most common environmental problems
in schools, which can aggravate children's allergies and asthma
problems. Nine percent of our Nation's schoolchildren have asthma,
which is the leading cause of absenteeism in schools. Other common
environmental problems in schools include mold infestations, lead and
copper contaminated drinking water, playgrounds and classrooms with
high levels of pesticides, unchecked furnaces and buses leaking carbon
monoxide, and exhaust from gasoline-powered equipment.
These problems affect the health of our Nation's schools and the
people in them, and can contribute to absenteeism, learning
difficulties, sick building syndrome, staff turnover, and liability
issues for our school districts.
Research shows that simple steps can be taken to make our schools
healthier. Heating and ventilation equipment can be improved to enhance
indoor air quality. New schools can be built with a healthy design at
non-polluted sites, in more sustainable ways that reduce energy and
maintenance costs. Nontoxic products can be used for cleaning,
maintenance and teaching. The use of natural light can be improved.
Healthy and high performance schools are designed to improve the
indoor environment for the students and staff members who go to work
and school in these buildings each and every day. They are more energy
efficient and lead to better overall health. Many States, in fact, have
already adopted guidelines for building healthy and high performance
schools, like my home State of New York.
National Healthy Schools Day draws attention to the importance of
having a safe and healthy school environment for our Nation's students.
National Healthy Schools Day is supported by the Healthy Schools
Network, the EPA, the National Education Association, and many more
organizations. I am proud to be counted as a supporter of National
Healthy Schools Day, and look forward to continuing to work with my
colleagues here to ensure that every student has a healthy environment
in which to learn. After all, our children are the foundation for this
country's great future. Shouldn't we be providing them with the safest
and healthiest places to learn?
Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
resolution recognizing National Healthy Schools Day authored by
Congressman Tonko from New York, and recognizing the importance of
ensuring healthy and green school environments for all of our children.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) that the House suspend the
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1280, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
The title of the resolution was amended so as to read: ``Expressing
support for designation of April 26, 2010, as National Healthy Schools
Day.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________