Washington, D.C – Earlier today, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz voted in strong support of several tax provisions to benefit American soldiers and their families. The package, the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax (HEART) Act of 2007 (H.R.3997), passed the Committee on Ways and Means unanimously today, and is expected to be on the House floor in the near future.

"As the daughter of a Korean War veteran, I know how deeply it matters that our soldiers and their families receive strong support on the home front. These tax provisions will go along way to helping our soldiers and their families have much needed peace of mind about their household budgets,” said Congresswoman Schwartz.

“The HEART Act recognizes not only the tremendous service of these men and women in uniform, but also the important point that it is this very service, in fact, which puts many of these individuals at an economic disadvantage,” added Schwartz.

Key provisions of HEART include:

• A permanent extension of the ability of active duty reservists to make penalty-free withdrawals from retirement plans in order to help their families meet unanticipated financial challenges;

• Enhancements to qualified mortgage bonds used to finance housing for veterans;

• Protections to ensure that the families of reservists who are killed in action receive an appropriate share of the retirement benefits they have been promised by their private sector employers; and

• An extension of time limitations on the filing of tax refund credit claims in the event that delays arise due to Department of Veterans Affairs disability determinations.

In Congress, Schwartz is leading several efforts to better the lives of American soldiers, veterans and military families.  Earlier this year, a Schwartz-authored proposal to provide tax breaks for businesses hiring soldiers returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan was signed into law by President Bush. Locally, Schwartz has secured hundreds of thousands of dollars for initiatives to provide job training and education benefits to veterans and soldiers. Schwartz has also been outspoken on the need for improved veterans healthcare.

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