Wednesday in Denver: Advocating for the Middle Class

Today in Denver, I held a press conference with my colleague Rep. Anthony Weiner and Jim Kessler, Vice President of Policy for "Third Way."

We've been working together to help Democrats advance a "Middle Class Success Agenda" aimed at helping middle class families get ahead of the game. The battleground in this year's election is the middle class. As Democrats, we need to ensure that middle class voters know we aren't just there for them in times of need, we're also there to help them achieve their goals, like sending their kids to college.

In the last decade, the cost of tuition for public universities has gone up 80%. This morning, Jim explained that college costs have increased faster than any other consumer product but one: cigarettes. Middle class families are being squeezed by education costs, energy costs, taxes, and health care costs.

So today, we proposed several ideas that we'll work on in Congress to ease the squeeze. Among our proposals: college tuition tax credits, investment in infrastructure, health care portability and COBRA reform, renewable energy tax credits for families, and Alternative Minimum Tax reform.

Over the last eight years, Republican policies have undermined the middle class. Here in Denver, we've seen Democrats unite for working families. Last night in the Pepsi Center, Democrats raised signs advocating for a "Strong Middle Class." This November is our chance to show American voters that there isn't just one political party for the rich and one for the poor, but there is a party answering to the majority of us who fall in the middle.