Vice President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner spoke about Wall Street reforms and the middle class at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Tuesday in an effort to drum up support for President Barack Obama’s financial overhaul legislation.

These speeches came in the midst of negotiations in the U.S. Senate to compose a financial reform bill similar to one that has already been passed in the House of Representatives.

Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and UW-Milwaukee Chancellor Carlos Santiago also spoke.

The House reform bill included provisions for allowing shareholders more say on executive pay packages, strengthening the Securities and Exchange Commission’s oversight of financial firms and creating a consumer protection agency.

Such reforms have been controversial in both the House and the Senate, with many Republicans, including Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, wary that further regulations could hurt business.

“If this bill doesn’t create burdensome new regulations that would make it harder for Americans to dig themselves out of this recession… prove it,” McConnell said in a statement.

Despite such criticism, those speaking were optimistic about Wall Street reform.

Santiago kicked off the talks by mentioning the beneficial effect financial reforms could have on the area, especially students.

“As our country works at reviving its economy, so too do many Midwestern cities, including Milwaukee,” Santiago said.

Barrett also spoke positively about the Obama administration’s effort to assist individuals struggling to support their families, to pay for education or to pay for health care.

Most people recognize that this is a difficult time for the country, especially the middle class, Barrett said.

Moore was critical of the recent actions of Wall Street and the effects risky behaviors have had on many people’s retirement funds, mortgages and college savings accounts.

“Wall Street gambled with our money,” Moore said.

Moore also advocated further transparency and more accountability for financial institutions’ dangerous investment habits.

In the opinion of Geither, though many have been critical of reforms, taking such precautions is necessary to restructure the financial institutions so Americans do not see such problems in the future.

“These reforms won’t satisfy everyone. They won’t solve all our problems, but they will fix what caused this crises… Now we just need Washington to act,” Geither said.

Biden said everyone can agree reforms are needed to shield the average American citizen in the future.

Biden focused on the effect that financial hardships have beyond Wall Street, such as on areas with large blue-collar populations, like Milwaukee.

“When recklessness and greed lead to a financial crisis, every single American suffers the devastating consequences of that” Biden said.