John Warner

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the amendment is cleared on this side.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the amendment has been cleared on this side.

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3958

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the amendment has been cleared on this side.

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3959

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the amendment is cleared on this side.

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3960

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the amendment has been cleared on this side.

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I intend to remain for a period of time in case any Senator comes to the floor. Then we will consult on such time as we recommend to the leadership if this bill is laid aside, and such morning business time as may be, in the leader's judgment, appropriate. In a few minutes I hope to address the Senate with regard to the NATO forthcoming enlargement issue, as well as those issues relating to other matters which are important. I have some visitors at this moment, so I will have to absent myself from the floor.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I believe this has been cleared on the other side, and I urge its adoption.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, it has been cleared on this side.

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3948

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, it has been cleared on this side.

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, the amendment has been cleared on this side.

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, this amendment has been cleared on this side. I ask unanimous consent that a letter relevant to this amendment be printed in the Record.

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3940

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3939

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3951

Mr. WARNER. I move to reconsider the vote.

Mr. WARNER. I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to. Amendment No. 3947

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, this amendment has been cleared on this side.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I join my distinguished colleague from Maine. We have fought together for this measure for several years now. One of the great rewards has been an inducement for this Senator. The Senator just spoke of visiting 100 schools. I cannot claim 100, but it is growing in number. And what a joy it is. For those of us who are privileged to serve in the Senate, and are successful in a piece of legislation, what a pleasure it is to go back and tell others, and thank them for their support which has enabled us to succeed. The teachers associations have been instrumental in backing this. They even ran a little advertisement in the papers of Virginia thanking me, for which I really humbly am very deeply touched and grateful. But Senators Collins, Landrieu, Allen, and I have worked closely for sometime now in support of legislation to provide our teachers with tax relief in recognition of the many out-of-pocket expenses they incur as a part of their duties. It is not required by law. It is not required by regulation. It is not required by the principals or the school districts. They just do it out of the generosity of their own hearts and the love and affection they have for their students. What a lesson this has been to this Senator. Earlier this year we were successful in providing much needed tax relief for our Nation's teachers with the passage of H.R. 3090, the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002. This legislation, which was signed into law by President Bush early this year, included the Collins-Warner Teacher Tax Relief Act of 2001, providing a $250--which the Senator mentioned--above-the-line deduction for educators who incur out-of-pocket expenses for supplies they bring into the classroom to better the education of their students. These important provisions will provide almost half a billion dollars' worth of tax relief to teachers all across America over the next 2 years. While these provisions will provide substantial relief to America's teachers, our work is not yet complete. It is now estimated that the average teacher spends $521 out of their own pocket each year on classroom materials--materials such as pens, pencils, and books. First year teachers spend even more, averaging $701 a year on classroom expenses. Why do they do this? Simply because school budgets are not adequate to meet the costs of education. Our teachers dip into their own pocket to better the education of America's youth. Moreover, in addition to spending substantial money on classroom supplies, many teachers spend even more money out of their own pocket on professional development. Such expenses include tuition, fees, books, and supplies associated with courses that help our teachers become even better instructors. The fact is that these out-of-pocket costs place lasting financial burdens on our teachers. This is one reason our teachers are leaving the profession. Little wonder that our country is in the midst of a teacher shortage. Without a doubt the Teacher Tax Relief Act of 2001 took a step forward in helping to alleviate the nation's teacher shortage by providing a $250 above the line deduction for classroom expenses. However, it is clear that our teachers are spending much more than $250 a year out of their own pocket to better the education of our children. Accordingly, Senator Collins, Senator Landrieu, Senator Allen, and I have joined together to take another step forward by introducing the Teacher Tax Relief Act of 2002. This legislation will build upon current law in three ways. The legislation will: increase the above-the-line deduction for educators from $250 allowed under current law to $500; allow educators to include professional development costs within that $500 deduction. Under current law, up to $250 is deductible but only for classroom expenses; and make the Teacher Tax relief provisions in the law permanent. Current law sunsets the Collins-Warner provisions after 2 years. Our teachers have made a personal commitment to educate the next generation and to strengthen America. And, in my view, the Federal Government should recognize the many sacrifices our teachers make in their career. The Teacher Tax Relief Act of 2002 is another step forward in providing our educators with the recognition they deserve. I thank my colleague from Maine for her work on this issue.

Mr. WARNER

Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I may proceed as in morning business for not to exceed 6 minutes.