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"With its vote on Wednesday in favor of a bill to outlaw discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation, the House scored a significant, if long overdue, breakthrough for equality and fairness. The Senate should now pass its own bill, and President Bush should sign this guarantee into law."

Today Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers and Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee Chairman Jerrold Nadler sent a letter to newly confirmed Attorney General Michael Mukasey restating their October 4 request to receive copies of Justice Department "secret" legal opinions authorizing the use of torture on terror suspects. On Thursday, Rep. Nadler's subcommittee held a hearing about the cruel and inhuman nature of torture and extreme interrogation practices during which "waterboarding," a controversial tactic believed to be authorized in these memos, was described in detail by former U.S. Navy Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) instructor Malcolm Nance and other witnesses.

The House is debating the Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007, H.R. 3996, 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.

Chairman Charlie Rangel of the Ways and Means Committee, as well as Reps. Jim McGovern (MA-03) and Lloyd Doggett (TX-25) spoke during debate on the rule, which has just passed allowing debate on the bill itself.

The House will soon consider the Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007, H.R. 3996, 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. Rep. John Hall (NY-19) spoke in favor of fixing the AMT this morning on the floor:

Rep. Hall: "If nothing is done soon, 27 million families across the country will be obligated to pay the alternative minimum tax, the AMT.

"The House on Wednesday approved a bill granting broad protections against discrimination in the workplace for gay men, lesbians and bisexuals, a measure that supporters praised as the most important civil rights legislation since the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 but that opponents said would result in unnecessary lawsuits."