House Progressive Caucus Launches Tour For Jobs

WASHINGTON -- Progressive Democrats are launching a tour to call for good jobs for the working and middle classes, putting pressure on House Republicans and President Barack Obama to push for more job measures.

"Let's get mad," Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) said at a press conference. "Let's tell the man that we love in the White House to get off of his butt and start supporting some legislature for jobs. ... He's the best speaker in the world, and now we want some action."

But the Democrats saved their harshest words for House Republicans, whom Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisc.) called "spineless" in their support for tax cuts and subsidies.

Balwin, Conyers and other members of the House Progressive Caucus will participate in a 12-city tour this summer to discuss jobs and how to get the middle class back to work. The tour will launch on Saturday at Netroots Nation in Minneapolis.

In Washington, Republicans and Democrats are engaged in negotiations with the White House over raising the debt ceiling, which the Treasury Department said must be done by Aug. 2 to prevent the government from defaulting on its loans. While many Democrats called for a "clean" debt ceiling increase, Republicans have said they will only approve raising the debt ceiling if it is paired to major cuts to shrink the deficit.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), who is representing House Republicans in debt talks with Vice President Joe Biden, said Monday that his conference will not support tax changes as part of a final deal.

The tour will push for job measures for the middle class as a means of deficit reduction, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) said at the press conference.