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Congressman Joe Sestak (PA-7), a member of the Armed Services Committee, delivered the Democratic Radio Address this morning. In his address, Congressman Sestak discusses the New Direction Congress' efforts to care for our veterans, as our nation honors their sacrifices on Veterans Day on Sunday. Rep. Sestak states, "today, our troops serving overseas in two wars -- and their families -- represent less than one 1 percent of our nation's 300 million citizens as they carry the burden of the current conflicts. It is therefore not only critical that Congress is working for a new direction in Iraq, but also that we recognize that the people in uniform today look to us to see how we relate to our veterans, which they will soon become.

As noted this morning, Democrats passed the Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007, H.R. 3996, which would provide millions of middle-class families with tax cuts by protecting them from the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and help grow our economy without increasing the national debt. The bill passed without a single Republican vote, and Republicans declined to offer any alternative after denouncing the PAYGO rules. Ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee Jim McCrery decried "the flaws of this PAYGO system" and Republican Whip Eric Cantor stated, "I rise in opposition to the Democrats' approach to try and pass the AMT on several grounds.

The House has just passed the Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007, H.R. 3996 by a vote of 216-193, which would provide millions of middle-class families with tax cuts and help grow our economy without increasing the national debt. The Temporary Tax Relief Act will provide immediate tax relief for working families by preventing 23 million middle class families from paying higher taxes this April. The legislation also closes unfair tax loopholes that benefit Wall Street millionaires and cost middle class taxpayers billions.