[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 94 (Tuesday, June 22, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4647-H4649]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SUPPORTING HIGH-PERFORMANCE BUILDING WEEK

  Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1407) supporting the goals and ideals of High-
Performance Building Week.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1407

       Whereas the High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus 
     Coalition has declared the week of June 13 through June 19, 
     2010, as ``High-Performance Building Week'';
       Whereas the House of Representatives has recognized the 
     importance of high-performance buildings through the 
     inclusion of a definition of high-performance buildings in 
     the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007;
       Whereas our homes, offices, schools, and other buildings 
     consume 40 percent of the primary energy and 70 percent of 
     the electricity in the United States annually;
       Whereas buildings consume about 12 percent of the potable 
     water in this country;
       Whereas the construction of buildings and their related 
     infrastructure consumes approximately 60 percent of all raw 
     materials used in the United States economy;
       Whereas buildings account for 39 percent of United States 
     carbon dioxide emissions a year, approximately equaling the 
     combined carbon emissions of Japan, France, and the United 
     Kingdom;
       Whereas Americans spend about 90 percent of their time 
     indoors;
       Whereas the value of all United States construction alone 
     represents more than 13 percent of the Nation's Gross 
     Domestic Product and the value of the Nation's structures is 
     estimated at over $28 trillion;
       Whereas poor indoor environmental quality is detrimental to 
     the health of all Americans, especially our children and the 
     elderly;
       Whereas high-performance buildings promote higher student 
     achievement by providing better lighting, a more comfortable 
     indoor environment, and improved ventilation and indoor air 
     quality;
       Whereas high-performance residential and commercial 
     building design and construction should effectively guard 
     against natural and human-caused events and disasters, 
     including fire, water, wind, noise, crime, and terrorism;
       Whereas high-performance buildings, which address human, 
     environmental, economic, and total societal impact, result 
     from the application of the highest level of design, 
     construction, operation, and maintenance principles--a 
     paradigm change for the built environment;
       Whereas nearly 7,500,000 Americans are employed in the 
     design, construction, operation, and maintenance sectors and 
     require education and training to achieve and maintain high 
     performance; and
       Whereas the United States should continue to improve the 
     features of new buildings and adapt and maintain existing 
     buildings to changing balances in our needs and 
     responsibilities for health, safety, energy and water 
     efficiency, and usability by all segments of society: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the goals and ideals of High-Performance 
     Building Week;
       (2) recognizes and reaffirms our Nation's commitment to 
     high-performance buildings by promoting awareness about their 
     benefits and by promoting new education programs, supporting 
     research, and expanding access to information;
       (3) recognizes the unique role that the Department of 
     Energy plays through the Office of Energy Efficiency and 
     Renewable Energy's Building Technologies Program, which works 
     closely with the building industry and manufacturers to 
     conduct research and development on technologies and 
     practices for building energy efficiency;
       (4) recognizes the important role that the National 
     Institute of Standards and Technology plays in developing the 
     measurement science needed to develop, test, integrate, and 
     demonstrate the new building technologies; and
       (5) encourages further research and development of high-
     performance building standards, research, and development.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Carnahan) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Smith) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Missouri.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on H. Res. 1407, the resolution now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Missouri?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1407, supporting 
the

[[Page H4648]]

goals and ideals of High-Performance Building Week.
  In 2008, my colleague Representative Judy Biggert and I came together 
to form the bipartisan High-Performance Buildings Caucus. We both 
recognized that any conversation about our energy future and the 
creation of clean-energy jobs must involve our built environment. 
Investing in building energy-efficiency measures is the most immediate 
and effective way to reduce carbon pollution, lower energy demand, 
create good clean-energy jobs, and save American families and 
businesses money.
  The built environment has a larger impact on the overall environment 
than many think. Each year, our homes, offices, schools, and other 
buildings account for about 40 percent of our total energy consumption. 
They consume 70 percent of all electricity from the grid, 60 percent of 
all raw materials, and 12 percent of all potable water in the United 
States alone. Through more efficient building practices and new 
technologies, we are beginning to address these problems in our built 
environment, but there is still much more to do.
  I am a strong advocate of increasing the number of high-performance 
building technologies and construction throughout the U.S. A high-
performance building is one that incorporates an entire-systems 
approach to building which includes energy and water efficiencies, 
lifecycle cost analysis, and other environmental attributes into 
designs that are accessible, secure, resilient, and in many cases, 
historically preserved.

                              {time}  1445

  High-performance buildings are more important in these difficult 
economic times because of their reduced energy cost, higher building 
values, and lower overall operating and maintenance costs.
  Last week, I had the opportunity to visit with many companies and 
manufacturers that work in this field. The majority of all building 
products are American-made and manufactured. This is key because here 
in the U.S., building construction is responsible for 15 percent of GDP 
per year. And according to the U.S. Green Building Council, greater 
building efficiency can meet 85 percent of future U.S. demand for 
energy, and a national commitment to green building has the potential 
to generate 2.5 million American jobs.
  The retrofitting of existing buildings or the design and construction 
of new high-performance buildings will have enormous impacts on the 
growth of our economy and securing our energy independence.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Nebraska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of H. Res. 1407, supporting the goals and 
ideals of High-Performance Building Week. The congressional High-
Performance Buildings Caucus declared the week of June 13 through June 
19 High-Performance Building Week in order to support and foster the 
engineering and innovation required for the construction of high-
performance buildings.
  High-performance buildings seek to address human, environmental, and 
economic issues inherent in the development process through the 
application of the highest level of design, construction, operation, 
and maintenance principles. These buildings can effectively guard 
against natural and human-caused events and disasters, including fire, 
flood, wind, noise, crime, and terrorism. When high-performance 
standards are used in schools, they also promote higher student 
achievement with better lighting, a more comfortable indoor 
environment, and improved ventilation and indoor quality.
  Nearly 7.5 million Americans are employed in building design, 
construction, operation, and maintenance. These professions require 
high levels of education and training, the need for which will only 
intensify as the number of high-performance buildings increases. The 
resolution before us today seeks to promote awareness of the benefits 
of high-performance buildings and to illustrate continued support for 
research, education, and access to information in these areas.
  We also recognize the important roles the Department of Energy and 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology play in developing 
the science necessary to create, test, integrate, and demonstrate new 
building technologies. Moreover, we recognize the innovative spirit and 
commitment of Americans to achieving excellence in this field. Our 
Nation's economy faces a number of obstacles, and we recognize the 
importance of construction and the value of every job created and 
maintained by this sector of our economy.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
resolution honoring the goals and ideals of High-Performance Building 
Week.
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to join my colleagues 
in designating the week of June 13th as High-Performance Building Week. 
Green buildings present an important opportunity: we can reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions, help people lead healthier, more productive 
lives, and spur vital economic development through retrofitting, 
redevelopment and new development of high performing buildings.
  As I travel around the country, I have seen the importance of green 
buildings in communities everywhere. People are realizing that not only 
do green buildings decrease long term maintenance and utility costs, 
improve the health of their residents and workers and reduce our impact 
on the environment, they play an important role in spurring economic 
development and centering livable communities.
  I am particularly excited by the work of Mr. Anthony Malkin, who is 
taking on the bold and visionary plan of retrofitting the Empire State 
Building. When it was built, the Empire State Building marked the 
beginning of a new era in American cities. It's a testament to the 
pioneering American spirit that we're taking what was a 20th century 
engineering marvel and turning it into an example of what is 
revolutionary and necessary in the 21st century. By the time Mr. Malkin 
and his team are done, the Empire State Building tenants will use 49 
percent less energy and provide a cleaner, healthier space for all who 
work there. I'm glad to see that this American landmark will help lead 
the way to a cleaner, greener economy.
  I can't talk about the green economy without discussing what's 
happening in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. Officials there are 
currently finalizing designs and plans for one of the first major 
living buildings. The Oregon Sustainability Center will be net zero for 
both energy and water, will be built and operated without using any 
toxic chemicals common to building materials, and will source materials 
and workforce from the local area. It will serve as a collaborative hub 
for Oregon's sustainability industry, encouraging collaboration between 
organizations, local governments and research facilities, and will show 
the rest of America showing what's possible. The Oregon Sustainability 
Center will be the first of the next generation in high performance 
buildings and I am proud that Portland is leading the way.
  I am proud to support this resolution today and hope that my 
colleagues will join me.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my 
support for H. Res. 1407, which enumerates the ideas and goals of High-
Performance Building Week. The High-Performance Building Congressional 
Caucus Coalition has designated the week of June 13 through June 19, 
2010, as ``High-Performance Building Week,'' in recognition of the 
importance of efficient, green building technology in our quest for 
energy independence. I believe consideration of the environmental 
impact of each of our buildings is vital to the future of American 
society, and I agree with the High-Performance Building Congressional 
Caucus Coalition on the need for awareness of the benefits of high-
performance construction.
  As a Georgia representative, I am proud of the leadership our 
universities and agencies have shown in the national movement toward 
environmental responsibility. Several of Atlanta's foremost 
institutions are stellar examples of American excellence in high-
performance building. Emory University's Whitehead Biomedical Research 
Building was the first building in the southeast to be certified as 
green. With a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 
rating of Silver from the U.S. Green Building Council, the Whitehead 
Research Building uses high-performance technologies, such as rainwater 
harvesting, to operate its 150 laboratories. This building marked the 
inception of Emory's policy of requiring all newly constructed 
buildings to obtain a minimum LEED rating of Silver.
  Also located in Atlanta are the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, whose Division of Laboratory Science in 2005 became the 
first U.S. government building to receive a LEED Gold certification. 
Its unique sun-shade structure takes in light and reflects it 
throughout the building, while simultaneously time

[[Page H4649]]

blocking solar heat. Aside from the dozens of technological innovations 
the building boasts, its green design solutions have also saved the CDC 
an estimated $1 million in annual operating costs. I am excited about 
the leaps in the science of high-performance building we have seen in 
my State and across the country over the past decade, and applaud the 
designation of High-Performance Building Week as I look forward to the 
bright future of environmentally-friendly construction.
  I urge my colleagues to support this important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Carnahan) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1407.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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