Middle-class families gain, lose tax breaks

WASHINGTON What Congress giveth, Congress taketh away.

That's the inescapable conclusion to draw from two separateactions taken recently by Congress. One provides more help formiddle-class families facing college bills while another reduces thetax break for middle-class families sending their preschoolers to daycare.

The measures have received generally scant attention becauseeach was a small part of much bigger legislation. The tuition breakis part of a law correcting errors left over from 1986, while the daycare change was part of a sweeping overhaul of the welfare system.

The tuition benefit goes to families that buy U.S. Savings BondEE Series - …