[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 5, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E766]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         BUILDING SAFETY MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DAVID G. REICHERT

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 5, 2010

  Mr. REICHERT. Madam Speaker, May 2010 is ``Building Safety Month,'' 
as declared by the International Code Council, ICC, and its affiliate 
Foundation. The ICC has a 30-year legacy of safe building and promoting 
longevity, responsibility, and sustainability in building practices.
  I believe it's important to recognize the ICC and ``Building Safety 
Month'' because all of us take the painstaking work of code enforcement 
for granted. Every single day, codes and code enforcers provide 
safeguards for families, businesses, and governments. We take for 
granted the codes surrounding fire safety and structural efficiency. We 
walk through hallways, sleep in bedrooms, work in offices, and exercise 
in gyms and take our safety and security for granted. May is a month to 
think about the benefits of building codes and code enforcement and the 
safety we enjoy because of careful planning.
  This year's ICC theme is ``Building Safety: Commemorating a 30-year 
Legacy of Leadership'' and a spotlight will shine on four specific 
areas of the built environment: energy and green building, disaster 
safety and mitigation, fire awareness and safety, and backyard safety. 
I applaud the ICC for promoting their safety and awareness values this 
year, especially considering the devastating effects of natural 
disasters in the recent past. Furthermore, the President of the ICC 
Board of Directors, Ronald L. Lynn, reiterated the Code Council's 
steadfast willingness to support and help lead, along with the State 
Department, the rebuilding of Haiti in a way that will create 
``disaster resilience.'' The ICC is providing leadership and instilling 
value in an arena that, again, we too often take for granted.
  The Code Council's emphasis on sustainable building is another aspect 
of Building Safety Month I want to acknowledge. This Congress, I 
introduced a comprehensive, bipartisan energy efficiency tax incentives 
package--The Expanding Building Efficiency Incentives Act of 2009--that 
has been recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council as one of their 
top legislative initiatives of the 111th Congress. It is reassuring to 
know that the ICC is also working to promote and further the goals of 
sustainable building.
  Madam Speaker, I offer my thanks to the International Code Council 
for their leadership on building safety, disaster awareness, and 
sustainable building. I believe the Code Council and this House can 
work together to help lead our Nation and this world into a more secure 
future.

                          ____________________