House Committee Approves $20 Billion Green Schools Initiative

Making up for the deletion of an important program which had been originally included in the Obama administration's economic stimulus legislation, Wednesday the House Education and Labor Committee voted out a bill appropriating $20 billion over the next five years for construction to improve the energy efficiency of school buildings across the country. On a largely party line vote of 31-14, the panel passed the construction program for improving safety, health and energy efficiency of public school buildings, with $6.4 billion to be spent in fiscal 2010. According to Education and Labor Chairman George Miller, "This legislation presents us with a vital opportunity to help boost student achievement, enhance teachers' effectiveness, generate savings for schools and create good jobs, all at once."