[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18710]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     RESTORING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FORGOTTEN MIDDLE CLASS

  (Mr. McDERMOTT asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, President Bush and the congressional 
Republicans are failing America's middle class again. This is nothing 
new. Millions of Americans are struggling paycheck to paycheck, and 
falling deeper in debt.
  Under Republican rule, the rich are getting much richer, while the 
middle class are helpless to stop the decline in their purchasing 
power. America's companies are recording their best profits in over 
four decades, while wages remain stagnant for the overwhelming majority 
of middle-class workers. Workers are behind those record corporate 
profits, but the workers are left behind sharing the gains.
  The middle class deserves a pay raise, but Washington Republicans pay 
no attention to the needs of real Americans. They can't raise the 
minimum wage. They are too busy working for the rich.
  For 5 straight years, Republicans have said to the middle class, You 
don't count. We have got rising college costs, skyrocketing health care 
costs, crippling energy costs, but no help from the Republicans.
  The Democrats offer a new direction for America. Democrats will 
restore economic opportunity and economic stability for the forgotten 
middle class. In November, the middle class is going to get taken care 
of by the new direction of the Democrats.

                          ____________________