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“This legislation honors the first priority of the New Direction Congress: creating American jobs. By focusing on our economy, workers, small businesses, and veterans, this legislation will put Americans back to work and help build long-term and broadly-shared prosperity. "

Tonight, the House begins consideration of HR 4173, the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. This comprehensive financial regulation reform bill will enact common-sense reforms including ending bailouts by helping ensure taxpayers are never again on the hook for Wall Street's risky behavior and bad bets; protecting families' retirement funds, college savings, and homes and businesses' financial futures from unnecessary risk by Wall Street lenders and speculators and high-paid corporate executives; protecting consumers from predatory lending abuses, fine print, and industry gimmicks; and finally bringing transparency and accountability to a financial system that has run amok.

This afternoon, the House passed the Tax Extenders Act of 2009 by a vote of 241-181. The bill will help create jobs and cuts taxes for middle-class families:

Strengthens job creation by American businesses here at home and U.S. competitiveness by extending the R&D tax credit for nearly 11,000 corporations and the special rules for active financing income

Approximately 70% or more of the benefits of the R&D tax credit are attributable to salaries of workers performing U.S. based research and the credit stimulates American made innovation in all 50 states

Provides up to 30 million homeowners with property tax relief

Benefits 12 million families through the State and local sales tax deduction

“President Obama and Democratic leaders in Congress share a strong commitment to our top priority: putting Americans back to work."

“Today, Congress took another positive step forward in our drive to create more jobs, strengthen our economy, and lay the foundation for long-term prosperity. By passing the Tax Extenders Act, we are placing our working families at the center of our economic recovery."

Speaker Pelosi, joined by the acting architect of the Capitol, members of the Arizona congressional delegation, the governor of Arizona, and 12-year-old Kaitlyn Ferencik of Surprise, AZ, lit the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree during a ceremony tonight: