Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee blasted House Republicans for their devastating tax scam, which eliminates key deductions for students, young graduates and teachers across the country, just to hand deficit-exploding giveaways to the wealthiest Americans and corporations shipping jobs overseas.

In Texas alone, more than 875,000 people will lose the student loan interest deduction under the GOP bill, according to a new analysis by the Center for American Progress. Altogether, according to the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, the House GOP bill raises taxes on 36 million middle class families nationwide.

“Affording an education is difficult enough in the 21st century economy,” said Congresswoman Jackson Lee. “Yet, this brutal Republican tax plan would bury many students and graduates under a mountain of debt. Young men and women who reached for the promise of higher education will face a heavier burden from their loans that will push their American Dreams further and further from reach. If that weren’t cruel enough, our teachers and schools will also face devastating new costs.”

The GOP Tax Scam takes numerous steps that would harm millions of students, employees, and teachers, including by ripping away the lifeline of the student loan interest deduction that 12 million graduates rely on, ending lifetime learning credits, ending tax-free tuition assistance from employers and decimating the state and local tax deduction that helps fund our schools. The GOP Tax Scam also eliminates deductions for teachers who buy school supplies for their students, stripping a key deduction away from nearly 354,0000 teachers in Texas.

“Educating our young people is the most important investment government can make,” said Congresswoman Jackson Lee. “How will Texas Republicans justify stealing from students and schools, just so they can write bigger checks for the super-rich and corporations shipping jobs overseas? The American people deserve real tax reform that puts the middle class first, not the insulting rip-off that Republicans are pushing in the GOP Tax Scam.”