Bill Clinton: “I come to the floor on two very important issues, issues that really do go to the heart of the kind of economy and…”

“I come to the floor on two very important issues, issues that really do go to the heart of the kind of economy and future that our Nation will have. One is the Employee Free Choice Act, which we will be voting on in the next day or two, and the other is the very important Energy bill that we have been debating. With respect to the Employee Free Choice Act, for me, this is about preserving, supporting, and growing the American middle class. The middle class is the backbone of the American economy, and our unions are the backbone of the American middle class. It is time we passed into law the Employee Free Choice Act to give unions a level playing field so they can organize for fair wages, safe working conditions, and the hard-won rights and responsibilities that American workers demand and deserve. This is a moment of profound challenge for our country. There is a deep sense of concern that I have certainly heard and listened to as I have traveled throughout America. Americans know they cannot win in the global economy unless the middle class wins, but there is a feeling that some people are betting against the American middle class.”