Teachers Shouldn’t Have to Pay Out-Of-Pocket for Their Own Classroom Supplies
Congressman Mike Simpson has cosponsored H.R. 1738, the Teacher Tax Relief Act. This bill would increase and make permanent the maximum deduction allowed for teachers purchasing classroom materials from $250 to $500; it also expands the deduction to include professional development expenses. The classroom expense deduction available for teachers is currently set to expire on December 31, 2011.

“It is common knowledge that our hard working teachers spend their own money on much needed classroom supplies,” said Simpson. “This legislation would offer a boost to teachers during these tough economic times by expanding the amount they are allowed to deduct and make the deduction permanent creating future certainty for them.”

H.R. 1738 also makes a critical investment in our children’s education by extending the tax deduction to include professional development expenses. Continued professional development is one vital way that teachers keep their skills and knowledge current and best equip themselves to prepare students for college and the challenges of the global workplace.

This bipartisan legislation has been introduced and is currently in the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Floor Schedule

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10TH
On Monday, the House is not in session.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11TH
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 12:00 p.m. for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m. Members are advised that the 6:30 p.m. vote series will be longer than usual.

Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:
1) H.R. 2433 - Veterans Opportunity to Work Act of 2011, as amended (Sponsored Rep. Jeff Miller / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)
2) H.R. 2074 - Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)
3) H.R. 2302 - To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress of conferences sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs (Sponsored by Rep. Marlin Stutzman / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)
4) H.R. 2349 - Veterans' Benefits Training Improvement Act of 2011 (Sponsored by Rep. Jon Runyan / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)
5) H.R. 1263- To amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide surviving spouses with certain protections relating to mortgages and mortgage foreclosures (Sponsored by Rep. Bob Filner / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)
6) H.R. 1025 - To amend title 38, United States Code, to recognize the service in the reserve components of certain persons by honoring them with status as veterans under law (Sponsored by Rep. Timothy Walz / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)

Continue Consideration of H.R. 2250 - EPA Regulatory Relief Act of 2011 (Modified Open Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Morgan Griffith / Energy and Commerce Committee)

The rule provides for no further general debate and makes in order only those amendments that have been preprinted in the Congressional Record.

Begin Consideration of H.R. 3078 - United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (Closed Rule, 90 Minutes of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Eric Cantor / Ways and Means Committee)

Begin Consideration of H.R. 3079 - United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (Closed Rule, 90 Minutes of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Eric Cantor / Ways and Means Committee)

Begin Consideration of H.R. 3080 - United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Closed Rule, 90 Minutes of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Eric Cantor / Ways and Means Committee)

Begin Consideration of the Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2832 - To extend the Generalized System of Preferences, and for other purposes (Closed Rule, One Hour of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Dave Camp / Ways and Means Committee)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12TH
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.

Complete Consideration of H.R. 3078 - United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (Closed Rule, 90 Minutes of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Eric Cantor / Ways and Means Committee)

Complete Consideration of H.R. 3079 - United States-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act (Closed Rule, 90 Minutes of Debate)(Sponsored by Rep. Eric Cantor / Ways and Means Committee)

Complete Consideration of H.R. 3080 - United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Closed Rule, 90 Minutes of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Eric Cantor / Ways and Means Committee)

Complete Consideration of the Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 2832 - To extend the Generalized System of Preferences, and for other purposes (Closed Rule, One Hour of Debate) (Sponsored by Rep. Dave Camp / Ways and Means Committee)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13TH
On Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. By approximately 2:30 p.m., the House will recess and then reconvene at approximately 4:00 p.m. for the purpose of receiving, in a joint meeting with the Senate, the Honorable Lee Myung-bak, President of South Korea.

H.R. 358- Protect Life Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Joseph Pitts / Energy and Commerce Committee / Ways and Means Committee)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14TH
On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes for the week are expected no later than 3:00 p.m.

H.R. 2273- Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. David McKinley / Energy and Commerce Committee)

In the News

Lawmakers work to settle spending levels for 12 appropriations bills
By Kerry Young, CQToday, October 5, 2011

The top House Republican appropriator said on Tuesday that he is optimistic negotiations with Senate Democrats on bill-by-bill fiscal 2012 spending levels will begin shortly, as lawmakers look to clear new spending law before Thanksgiving.

Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky., said he spoke with his Senate counterpart, Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, on Tuesday about how to allocate among the 12 annual spending bills the $1.043 trillion in discretionary spending available for fiscal 2012.

Rogers said he hopes bill allocations can be agreed upon relatively soon, as his negotiations with Inouye continue. “Before we do anything, we have got to settle that,” Rogers said.

The individual bills are expected to be wrapped into a single catchall omnibus, or potentially several smaller packages, called “minibuses.” Appropriators hope to clear a final fiscal 2012 spending package before Nov. 18, when the current stopgap spending measure cleared by the House on Tuesday (HR 2608) will expire.

Once the “top-line” spending levels are set, appropriators will have to sort out their differences on how to fund the thousands of federal programs. Lawmakers also will have to wade through dozens of policy riders that are attached to individual spending bills every year.

The most contentious provisions will be found in the Labor-HHS-Education (S 1599) and State-Foreign Operations (1601) bills, said Norm Dicks of Washington, the ranking Democratic house appropriator. Those two bills provide an opportunity for Republicans and Democrats to battle over foreign aid, labor law and the health care overhaul (PL 111-48, PL 111-52).

“And Defense could be a problem if they don’t get the number up a little bit,” Dicks added.

Senate appropriators advanced last month a Defense spending bill (HR 2219) that would freeze regular Pentagon spending at $530.5 billion in discretionary funding.

Another highly contentious bill is the Interior-Environment measure (HR 2584), which the House passed with policy provisions intended to weaken environmental regulation. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, chairman of the House Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, said he expects to meet soon with his Senate counterpart, Jack Reed, D-RI. The Senate Appropriations Committee has marked up 11 of its 12 bills, leaving only the Interior-Environment measure still under wraps.

Simpson said he does not expect a Senate markup of the measure because Democratic leaders fear that some Senate Democrats would back regulatory provisions from the House measure.

“There are several things that I think that the Senate would go along with,” Simpson said, citing attempts to curb regulation of greenhouses gases as an example. “If they did a markup and the bill had those things in it, it makes it pretty easy to conference. You say ‘Wait a minute, guys, your own members supported this.’ ”

Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior-Environment, said Tuesday she continues to consult with Reed about the bill. But she was skeptical the measure will see a markup.

The political calculations facing Senate Democrats were evident on the Senate floor Tuesday, when Wyoming Republican John Barrasso offered an amendment to a China currency bill (S 1610) that would block an EPA regulation on toxic emissions from cement manufacturers. The bipartisan amendment’s cosponsors include Louisiana Democrat Mary L. Landrieu, a member of the Interior-Environment subcommittee.

Sen. James M. Inhofe, R-Okla., said that with a floor debate on the Interior-Environment spending bill unlikely, EPA critics will pursue any opportunity to offer EPA-related amendments.

Geof Koss contributed to this story.