[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Page 6497]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            THE MIDDLE CLASS

  Mr. REID. I want to say a brief word about something I mentioned as I 
started my remarks. My friend, the Republican leader, has stated that 
the extreme left is causing a problem on this bill. It is not the 
extreme left. It is Democrats who are concerned about the middle class.
  We do not focus here on the middle class. Republicans are focused 
elsewhere. We have done nothing on minimum wage, and we have done 
nothing on student debt. We have done nothing on equal pay for men and 
women. We have done nothing to create jobs--nothing. We are here. In a 
matter of 1 week or 2 weeks, the authorization for highways will be 
gone. It is different than other authorizations we do because under the 
law we passed previously, when that law expires, there is no contract 
authority, and that program will come to a screeching halt. We have a 
few dollars left to carry on for a few more weeks, but it will not be 
spent.
  It is a shame my friend, the Republican leader, keeps referring to 
the extreme left--whatever that means--when we start talking about the 
middle class. That is one reason we are concerned about this trade bill 
that is before us today.
  Mr. President, would the Chair announce the business of the day.

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