Federal Legislative Update
October 2006

October 20, 2006
October 13, 2006

10/20/06

News from Capitol Hill...

Congress Prepares To Raise Teacher Taxes; Elected Officials Need To Hear From Us NOW

Teachers and paraprofessionals will be socked with a $250 tax increase if Congress continues to fail to renew a tax deduction for educators' out-of-pocket classroom supply expenses. That's why we must send every member of Congress a clear message: Congress should do the right thing and renew the tax deduction for teachers and paraprofessionals who reach into their own pockets so that their students and classrooms have adequate books, pencils, paper and art supplies.

Contact your Senators and Representative before they return to Congress on November 13.  Tell them that it's unfair to penalize educators because Congress has failed to act. Teachers and paraprofessionals should not be held hostage for the sake of partisan gamesmanship.

If we raise our collective voice, we can save the tax deduction.  Our elected officials must know that we will not stand by quietly as they raise our tax bill. Educators already make enough financial sacrifices.

CONTACT YOUR SENATORS, REPRESENTATIVE TODAY

Act TODAY and urge your Senators and Representative  to renew the $250 federal tax deduction for educators' out-of-pocket classroom expenses when they return during the lame duck session. By standing together, we can make a difference.

10/13/06

News from Capitol Hill...

Help Schools with Back-Home Assignment:
Urge Congress to Restore Critical Funding

Congress has its plate full when it returns from its recess November 13. Among its unfinished business is passing a 2007 spending bill for education, a priority for educators and schools nationwide that are struggling to serve more students with special needs, do more with shrinking district budgets and keep up with costly and time-consuming federal paperwork.

With your e-mails and phone calls, we can succeed in restoring education funding to its 2005 level.  In order for that to happen, your Senators and Representatives need to hear from you NOW that further budget cuts would harm your students and school.  Because education will have to compete with other federal programs for funding, it's critically important that our elected officials hear from all of us.

Your voice would add critical momentum to the efforts by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) and 55 of their Republican and Democratic Senate colleagues and by Rep. Mike Castle (R-DE) and 24 House Republican moderates to restore the education and health care funding.   

Providing no less than the 2005 funding level of education will go a long way toward ensuring all children receive a quality education.  Failure to make investments in education today will have costly repercussions for our future as a country.  Restoring the funds to the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill must be a priority for our nation.  Already, too many of our students are not receiving the tools and resources they need to succeed.

Contact Your Senators and Representatives Today

Act TODAY and urge your Senators and Representatives to restore $2 billion to the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education appropriations bill. Our students and schools need your help.