In his December 6 remarks at Osawatomie High School in Osawatomie, Kansas, President Obama spoke about the significance of this moment in time as we try to decide, as a country, the best way to decrease inequality and restore growth, prosperity, balance and fairness--and how this process is not just another political debate. Rather, it is the defining issue of our time.

"The truth is we'll never be able to compete with other countries when it comes to who's best at letting their businesses pay the lowest wages, who's best at busting unions, who's best at letting companies pollute as much as they want. That's a race to the bottom that we can't win, and we shouldn't want to win that race."

Read the entirety of President Obama's comments on rebuilding a strong middle class in America here.