[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 6, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S44]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REID (for himself, Mr. Levin, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. 
        Begich, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. 
        Casey, Mr. Lautenberg, Ms. Stabenow, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. 
        Lieberman, Ms. Klobuchar, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Schumer, and Ms. 
        Mikulski):
  S. 2. A bill to improve the lives of middle class families and 
provide them with greater opportunity to achieve the American dream; 
read the first time.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the 
bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                  S. 2

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Middle Class Opportunity Act 
     of 2009''.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that Congress should enact, and 
     the President should sign, legislation to improve the lives 
     of middle class families and provide them with greater 
     opportunity to achieve the American dream by--
       (1) providing middle class tax relief while making the tax 
     laws simpler and more reliable;
       (2) promoting investments in the new economy and enacting 
     policies that create good, well-paying jobs in the United 
     States;
       (3) enhancing the incentives and protections to help middle 
     class families adequately meet their needs in retirement;
       (4) improving programs to help families acquire the 
     education and training to be productive participants in the 
     modern economy;
       (5) promoting families by improving the access and 
     affordability of child and elder care;
       (6) restoring fairness, prosperity, and economic security 
     for working families by ensuring workers can exercise their 
     rights to freely choose to form a union without employer 
     interference; and
       (7) removing barriers to fair pay for all workers.
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