Supporting Early-Childhood Educators' Deductions Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his support for this legislation and bringing it to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 5334, the Supporting Early-childhood Educators' Deductions Act, also known as the SEED Act.

Mr. Speaker, in Pennsylvania, more than 68,000 early-childhood educators support our youngest learners every single day. The first 5 years of a child's life lay down the foundation for how they learn, how they grow, and how they succeed. These educators are central to that process.

They do far more than teach. They create safe, engaging environments where children can thrive. Despite earning very modest wages, these educators often reach into their own pocket to stock their classrooms and ensure their students have the resources they need to succeed.

That level of dedication speaks to their commitment, Mr. Speaker, not just to their students but to the communities they serve and our future workforce.

Under current law, early-childhood educators cannot deduct these out- of-pocket expenses. That is a gap the SEED Act will fix. The SEED Act offers a simple, bipartisan solution by extending the existing educator expense deduction to early-childhood educators. It is a commonsense measure that supports educators and invests in our youngest learners during their most critical years.

I thank my friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. Panetta), for his partnership and his care and concern for our educators and our young people across America. I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation to better equip and uplift our early-childhood educators and those they serve across this Nation.

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