Media

Unless Congress acts, beginning in January the average American family earning $50,000 a year will face a $1,000 tax increase. I am fighting to ensure that this does not happen to 160 million Americans next year.

The payroll tax holiday that was enacted in early 2011 reduced the Social Security payroll tax to 4.2 percent of wages from 6.2 percent. This tax cut has benefited 16.7 million Californians and made a significant difference to middle class families struggling to make ends meet in this economy. However, this tax provision is set to expire at the end of this year.

Today, I am happy to tell you that Sacramento has been chosen as one of the first five cities to benefit from President Obama's announced andquot;Better Building Initiativeandquot;, a plan to increase energy efficiency in commercial buildings by 20 percent by 2020.

We are currently in the midst of Medicare's Open Enrollment season, which ends earlier than normal this year on December 7. Every fall, the Open Enrollment period gives Medicare beneficiaries the opportunity to compare plans and make changes to their coverage for the upcoming calendar year.

Today, on Veterans Day, we take the time to remember, honor, and thank our service men and women, both current and former, for everything they have done at home and abroad to keep our country safe. This morning, I am excited to have the chance to participate in the City of Sacramento Veterans Day Parade. It is always a humbling experience to be in the presence of Sacramentoand#39;s heroes.

As you are aware, the Sacramento region's housing market has been one of the hardest hit in the nation. I have heard from hundreds of homeowners who are frustrated and angry at the banks for giving them the run around when they are trying to work with them to stay in their homes and avoid foreclosure. With more than 40% of homes in our region underwater, and increasing rates of foreclosure, helping Sacramento homeowners is one of my top priorities.

I strongly believe that even as Congress works to reduce our nation's deficit, our first priority must be the creation of jobs for American workers. We know that we cannot reduce the debt without growing our economy; we cannot have growth without job creation; and we cannot create jobs without small businesses.