Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, school districts across America are struggling to recruit and hire teachers. In the Fourth District of Oklahoma, for example, there are 8,680 teachers who currently receive the education expense deduction. This legislation doubles the above-the-line deduction for educators' out-of-pocket expenses to $500. Mr. Speaker, I can imagine that these teachers would greatly appreciate being able to claim up to $500 out-of-pocket for the school supplies that they buy for their students. I want to tell a story from Debra Deskin. Debra is a teacher in Oklahoma, and she has been a faithful public servant for 15 years. She teaches gifted students. She says: ``I literally had to choose whether to purchase items for my classroom and students or pay bills. Honestly, the bills get put on the back burner.'' These are the type of public servants who this bill is tasked to support to ensure that they are not having to choose between paying their bills or buying supplies for their students. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).”