Talk Radio News Service: News, Politics, Media

By Leah Valencia - University of New Mexico/Talk Radio News Service

Members of the House Democratic Caucus said Wednesday said that they plan on passing a jobs package today and will put pressure on their Senate colleagues to act with more compulsion.

"The caucus will pass over a jobs bill today, along with a defense bill, to the Senate, and we encourage...in fact, we would like to see the Senate take more action,” said House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-Conn.). “The American people are demanding that the [Senate] take action, and most importantly, that we get America back to work.”

Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) said a recent count done by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) showed that 234 House bills have failed to pass through the Senate. Larson said he would like to see the Senate catch up.
"We'd be happy with just three, health care, energy, education...make that four, a jobs bill," Larson said.

Larson told reporters that he did not blame the Senate Democratic leadership for slow progress.

"Harry Reid will get a direct shot to heaven," he said. “He is laboring mightily with the rules of the Senate. It shouldn't be that any one senator or a collection thereof [can] stop progress on behalf of the American people, whether that's health care or a jobs bill."