Better Education for Our Children

Making quality education – including college – available to every student is a priority for Mario. Families need to have more say in their children’s education, good teachers should be properly rewarded, and education opportunities need to be financially possible for everyone. Less talk, more action.

 

•    In the past five years, Mario has helped nearly double federal funding for Southern Florida public schools.

•    Since coming to Congress, Mario has helped increase education funding 12 percent ($182 billion total funding).

•    In the past five years, Miami Dade County Public Schools has received $1.68 billion in federal grants, an increase of more than 93 percent.

•    Introduced H.R. 411 - Family Tax Relief Act – To make permanent the tuition tax deduction and the school teacher expense deduction.

•    Cosponsored H.R. 549 - Teacher Tax Relief Act – To make permanent the current tax deduction for K-12 teachers’ qualified educational       expenses and professional development training and increases the deduction from the current $250 to $400.

•    Cosponsored H.R. 686 to make permanent the tuition tax deduction which helps families supporting their children as well as those already in       the workforce seeking to continue their education.

•    Cosponsored the National Science Education Tax Incentive for Business Act to provide a 100% tax credit for businesses that       donate new science, technology, engineering and math equipment that fits into a schools education plan as well as related teacher training.

•    Cosponsored the American Dream Act to permit states to determine state residency regarding higher education and to adjust the       status of certain immigrant students who are long-term United States residents and who entered the United States as children.

•    Cosponsored the One-stop Student Financial Aid Information Act to promote the availability and use of the Federal student       financial aid website of the Department of Education.

•    Cosponsored the Married Student Debt Relief Act to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to eliminate the marriage penalty on       the deduction for interest on student loans.

•    Cosponsored the Student Protection Act to develop a national system of oversight of States for sexual misconduct in the elementary       and secondary school system.

•    Voted for the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act, which became law, to ensure that loan providers can continue to fulfill the       needs of borrowers. 

•    Member of Community College Caucus