Media

Brendan Daly, spokesman for Speaker Pelosi, on the FBI arresting a suspect accused of making threatening phone calls to the Speaker:

After an investigation into threats made against Speaker Pelosi, an arrest has been made in San Francisco. The Speaker thanks the FBI, the Capitol Hill Police, House Sergeant at Arms, and other law enforcement officials for their professionalism in this matter. She will have no further comment at this time.

The tax cuts in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, signed into law by President Obama last February, gave 95% of American workers a tax cut, and encouraged new job-creating investments by businesses large and small. Many of these tax credits will transform our economy for years to come, such as in renewable energy and energy efficiency. As tax day is approaching, WhiteHouse.gov launched a Recovery Act Tax Savings Tool to help you determine which of the more than a dozen Recovery Act tax benefits you are eligible for this tax season--from the expanded first-time homebuyer credit to the new College Tax Credit:

Since its passage last month, some opponents of health reform have claimed that the new law could adversely impact their corporations, pointing to the closing of a tax loophole in the bill to suggest reform is increasing health care costs.

MYTH: Health insurance reform will tax some corporations twice--causing them to stop offering retirees generous prescription drug benefits, or even cut back on hiring.

FACT: Health insurance reform closes a loophole that allowed corporations that offered prescription drug benefits to "double dip," and deduct the taxpayer-financed subsidy for the drug benefit from their taxes. Under reform, the corporations still get the taxpayer help--just not the unfair tax break on it.

The thoughts and prayers of every Member of Congress rest with the families and loved ones of those who perished in yesterday's mine explosion in West Virginia. The entire nation mourns the tragic loss of life and prays for the speedy recovery of the survivors and for the rescue of those still trapped in the rubble.

This tragedy is a clear reminder of the need for continued vigorous oversight of the mining industry and rigorous enforcement of safety standards for America's mines. We must do everything in our power to minimize the risks to our mine workers and ensure they can do their jobs without threat to their well-being.

We extend our deepest condolences to the people of West Virginia.

Along with today's news that we gained 162,000 jobs in March -- the largest job gain in a single month in the past three years -- this week brought other good news that our economy is moving in the right direction. Consumer confidence is rising -- exceeding forecast:

Conference Board's confidence index rose to 52.5, exceeding the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, from 46.4 in February, the private research group's report showed today.

Personal spending increased for the 5th straight month: