With the growth of the Brazilian economyand wider availability of creditandgovernment cash transfer programmes, 35 million people have in recent years joined an expanded middle class.
And my point, as you know, I know, is that the -- raising the ceiling, the debt ceiling, is so important because it involves the faith andcredit of the United States government as the most powerful economy in the world -- the economy to which the whole world looks for stability.
The government deserved credit for the strength of the economy, investment in public services and introducing new rights at work, said the TUC general secretary in his message.