Buildings consume about 40 percent of the total energy used in the United States and are responsible for about 40 percent of all U.S. carbon dioxide pollution. The initial building design and construction provides the best and most cost-effective opportunity to deploy energy-efficient features that will last for the lifetime of the building. The HOPE VI Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2007, H.R. 2534, required federally funded housing developments and community revitalizations for the low income and elderly to meet residential and commercial buildings criteria for efficiency.

Representative Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) offered an amendment that would have weakened these provisions by making them voluntary, deleted the definition of specific green criteria and goals, and allowed the Administration to choose any private industry-backed standard for voluntary compliance, regardless of any positive public health or environmental benefit.

On January 17, the House defeated the amendment by a vote of 169-240 (House roll call vote 16). NO IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE.