This past month, Congress has passed numerous pieces of critical legislation aimed at securing financial prosperity and access to quality education for all Americans. From tax relief and expanding early-childhood education to preventing predatory mortgage lending, this Congress is taking on tough challenges that have gone unaddressed for far too long.
 
On November 9th, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3996, "The Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007." This measure will provide tax relief to middle-income Americans by offsetting the alternative minimum tax (AMT) which was designed as a tax for the wealthy. Furthermore, this legislation will benefit an estimated 12 million children through its expansion of the child tax credit, and aid nearly 30 million homeowners through a provision that creates property tax relief. This essential piece of legislation is an important first step in addressing the financial needs of middle-income Americans who have struggled under the weight of taxes such as the AMT that were never intended to affect them.
 
On the education front, I urge President Bush to sign H.R. 1429, "The Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act" which passed both houses of Congress on November 14th. The passage of this legislation will not only improve the quality of early-childhood education, but increase access to Head Start so that those children who need it most will be able to begin kindergarten with the educational tools and social skills that are imperative for their academic success.
 
In addition to these significant endeavors, my colleagues and I voted to pass H.R. 3915, "The Mortgage Reform and Anti-Predatory Lending Act of 2007." This bill addresses the problem of predatory lending that has corrupted the mortgage industry and has contributed to the financial woes surrounding the subprime mortgage crisis. H.R. 3915 is designed to create the market safeguards necessary for low-income families to purchase homes. It will reform consumer mortgage practices, establish licensing and registration requirements for residential mortgage providers, and create minimum standards for consumer mortgage loans.
 
These important accomplishments reflect the legislative priority of the Democratic Party: a strong commitment to meeting the real needs of hardworking Americans. Despite this progress, much work remains to be done. Rest assured that when my colleagues and I return to Washington in December to complete the work of the fall session, we will continue to tackle these challenging issues.

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