Obama takes jobs push to Congressional Hispanic Caucus

President Obama took his jobs push to a Congressional Hispanic Caucus event Wednesday where he chastised Republicans in Congress, claiming some of them are putting "party before country."

"If we're being honest, we know the real problem isn't the members of Congress in this room," he told the enthusiastic crowd. "It's the members of Congress who put party before country because they believe the only way to resolve our differences is to wait 14 months until the next election. Well I've got news for them: the American people don't have the luxury of waiting 14 months."

We're going to have to get Congress to act. I know Nancy Pelosi is ready to act. I know the CHC is ready to act. But we got to get more folks in Congress to act. It's time to stop playing politics, and start listening to the people who sent us there in the first place. So everybody here tonight, keep the heat on me, keep the heat on Nancy, the rest of the Democrats. We feel good about where we're at," the president also said.

The red-meat speech largely echoed the president's remarks at an event in Raleigh, North Carolina earlier Wednesday, pleading with congressional Republicans to pass the more-than $400 billion jobs bill he sent to Congress earlier this week. The president made a similar push during visits to Ohio on Tuesday and Virginia on Friday. All three states – Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia – were carried by Obama in 2008 but are considered up for grabs in the 2012 presidential race.

According to the White House, Obama's jobs bill will especially impact Hispanic-owned small businesses and includes tax cuts that will impact 25 million Hispanic workers. The White House also says the bill calls for skills training and summer job opportunities to help younger Hispanic-Americans enter the workforce.