Congressman Cohen Statement on House Passage of 21st Century Green, High-Performing Schools Act

I was proud to support this important bill because it will improve our public schools, create clean energy jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower energy costs for taxpayers.

This is exactly the kind of smart legislation we need to get out of this economic crisis. This bill saves money for our schools, creates jobs and gets us closer to our goal of providing every child with a world class education by giving more students and teachers a safe, environmentally-friendly learning environment. At the same time, it modernizes our schools and prepares our workers for a new, clean American energy economy.

Our schools should be safe and healthy learning environments for our children. This bill gives us a chance to upgrade our school buildings and boost student achievement in the 9th District while creating good local jobs in new, clean energy industries.

The bill also generates long-term savings for schools by reducing energy expenses. Green schools reduce pollution by using about 30% less water and energy than conventional schools, and emit almost 40% less harmful carbon dioxide.

According to calculations by the Economic Policy Institute, this legislation’s construction funding would support as many as 136,000 new jobs – many in areas that will give workers the valuable skills they need to excel in a clean energy economy.

The bill also authorizes separate funds for public schools that were damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita – $600 million over the next six years. Many students in the region still attend school in temporary classrooms because of the extensive damage to permanent facilities.

Currently, MCS and SCS are millions of dollars short of the funding they desperately need. The environmental quality of a school isn’t just important for our children’s health – it’s critical for their learning. The legislation we passed today provides much of the funds they need to build the kind of safe, healthy, clean schools that will prepare our students in the 9th District for the 21st century.

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Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, 202-225-3265
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, 202-225-3265