Mazie Hirono: “Before I talk about the bipartisan Local Taxpayer Relief Act, to reauthorize Impact Aid, before I go to that, I, too…”

“Before I talk about the bipartisan Local Taxpayer Relief Act, to reauthorize Impact Aid, before I go to that, I, too, would like to add my condolences to the family of John Adler. John and I used to do yoga and tai-chi together--he much more often than I--at 6:30 in the morning. I got to know him and to really admire him for the commitment that he had to be of service. And the times that I would miss our tai-chi sessions, he would say, ``We missed you, Mazie.'' We miss you, John. Impact Aid Most public school funding comes from local property taxes. However, in areas with Federal property, Indian lands, or military bases, school districts cannot collect these needed revenues. Without relief, taxpayers in these federally impacted areas would need to pay more to support the same level of education as other districts. The bipartisan bill that I am introducing today would make sure that these districts would have the kind of Federal support through Impact Aid that they need to ensure that all of our students, our children, have the kind of good education they deserve. Impact Aid supports over 12 million children in more than 1,300 school districts in every single State, D.C. and the U.S. territories. I want to acknowledge the work of the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, NAFIS, who worked tirelessly to bring this bill to the floor. The Impact Aid Coalition includes 105 Members of Congress.…”