Ihouse Majority Leader Eric Cantor Tuesday tried to paint his Republican party as compassionate and willing to let the federal government take a bigger role in improving constituents' lives.

In what was billed as a major speech, the Virginia Republican told the conservative American Enterprise Institute the government has a role in education, health care and child care.

The speech was seen as an effort to soften the image of the House Republican party, an image battered in recent years because of its insistence on slashing domestic programs. Cantor, the second-ranking House Republican, is seen as having a strong following among hardcore conservatives.

"I’m pleased that many of my colleagues in both chambers of Congress on both sides of the aisle have begun work in good faith to address these issues," Cantor said.

He also praised colleagues for starting to deliberate on overhauling the nation's immigration system.

"It’s the right thing to do for our families, for our security, and for our economy," he said. "There are some who would rather avoid fixing the problem in order to save this as a political issue. I reject this notion and call on the President to help lead us towards a bipartisan solution rather than encourage the common political divisions of the past."

He got some encouraging reaction. "If House Republicans can adapt their agenda to match Leader CAntor's word, this Congress could surprise people with productive it can be," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

On health care, Cantor proposed modernizing Medicare to make it less complex and efficient.

"We should begin by ending the arbitrary division between Part A, the hospital program, and Part B, the doctor services. We can create reasonable and predictable levels of out-of-pocket expenses without forcing seniors to rely on Medigap plans," he said. "Seniors who choose to receive their health care treatment through a group of doctors and hospitals working together to control costs, should share in the savings through lower Medicare premiums and out of pocket costs. This is both cost effective and good for seniors."

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., plans a major speech to a conservative group Tuesday that will outline his views on how government should work, views that will try to portray a more compassionate side of conservatism..

Cantor is expected to discuss a federal role in education, health care and other areas, in an afternoon speech to the American Enterprise Institute in Washington..

"Our solutions will be based on the conservative principles of self reliance, faith in the individual, trust in the family, and accountability in government. Our goal – to ensure every American has a fair shot at earning their success and achieving their dreams," he is expected to say. Excerpts were released Monday.

"Government policy should aim to strike a balance between what is needed to advance the next generation, what we can afford, what is a federal responsibility and what is necessary to ensure our children are safe, healthy and able to reach their dreams," according to the prepared remarks.

"One of our priorities this year will be to move heaven and earth to fix our education system for the most vulnerable. ...Explaining that rising health care costs are depressing take-home pay is little consolation to a working mom. Her grocery bills are higher, her kids' school needs are more expensive, rent is up – and now, she's just trying to get by. And getting by is not the American Dream."

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va. and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. called President Obama Thursday as is traditional on the first day of a new Congress.

Cantor and Pelosi informed Obama, vacationing until Saturday in Hawaii, that the House has a quorum and that a speaker and clerk have been elected and that the 113th Congress is ready to receive his communications.

"The president thanked the two leaders, congratulated them and extended well wishes to all members of the new Congress,'' according to a senior administration official.

Be ready to stay in Washington through the end of the year, Republican leaders warned members of Congress Wednesday.

"The president seems to be walking us ever so slowly towards the cliff," House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., told reporters after meeting with other Republicans.

"We've said we're committed to staying here. We're going to stay here right up to Christmas Eve," he said, "throughout the time and period before the New Year, because we want to make sure that we resolve this in an acceptable way for the American people."

His comments came as both parties reported little progress in talks between President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner.

Boehner discussed his Tuesday call with Obama, saying the president is calling for $1.4 trillion in revenue.

"That cannot pass the House and Senate," Boehner said.

He would provide no other details. "Listen," he said, "there were offers exchanged back and forth yesterday, and you know the president and I had a pretty frank conversation about just how far apart we are."

Republicans Wednesday wondered aloud: Where's President Barack Obama on fiscal cliff negotiations?

"You know, this week, we made a good faith offer to avert the fiscal crisis and that offer included significant spending cuts and reforms," said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Monday, House of Representatives Republicans offered a $2.2 trillion spending and tax package.

"Now we need a response from the White House. We can't sit here and negotiate with ourselves," he told reporters. "Our targets and frameworks are things we can all agree on."

If Obama disagrees with the approach--as the White House has said it does--"I think he's got an obligation to send one to the Congress and a plan that can pass both chambers of Congress," Boehner said.

Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., echoed that thought. "We have not had any discussion and any specifics with this president about the real problem, which is spending," he said.

The House Republican offer to avert the fiscal cliff is described in a three page letter signed Monday by key GOP leaders.

The letter calls the plan, which would raise $800 billion in new revenue and projects $2.2 trillion in deficit reduction, is based on testimony from Erskine Bowles, co-chairman of the bipartisan commission that in 2010 recommended trillions in savings.

That testimony, the letter said, describes "exactly the kind of imperfect but fair middle ground that allows us to avert the fiscal cliff without hurting our economy and destroying jobs," the leaders say.

 The entire letter as a PDF.

         Republican leaders were outraged Tuesday at changes in the Democratic platform on Israel. Unlike the 2008 platform, which said the city is and will remain the capital, this year's version does not discuss Jerusalem's status.

          Jewish voters traditionally vote heavily for Democratic presidential candidates, but Republicans have been pushing hard for their support. Obama got about 74 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008 and polls suggest support is just as strong this year.

       But House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., charged Tuesday that Democrats were steadily distancing themselves from Israel.

          Former Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., added that, “By failing to mention Jerusalem as Israel’s
capital, by no longer insisting that Palestinian refugees be settled inside a future Palestinian state rather than in Israel, and by failing to condemn Hamas—all new positions from four years ago—the Democratic Party is signaling a radical shift in its orientation, away from Israel.”

          Democrats insisted the platform, adopted at the convention Tuesday, strongly supported Israel. The United States has maintained that Jerusalem’s status as Israel's capital is a matter of negotiation.

          They strongly rejected any notion the White House has wavered in its support of Israel. "Over the past four years, the president has proven this commitment time and again in both word and
deed," former Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., told the convention.

          “President Obama and the Democratic Party maintain an unshakable commitment to Israel's security,” the platform said. “A strong and secure Israel is vital to the United States not simply
because we share strategic interests, but also because we share common values.”

          It urges peace between Israel and the Palestinians, “producing two states for two
peoples,” saying that “would contribute to regional stability and help sustain Israel's identity as a Jewish and democratic state. At the same time, the President has made clear that there will be no lasting peace unless Israel's security concerns are met.”

            The platform also insists Obama will “insist that any Palestinian partner must recognize Israel's right to exist, reject violence, and adhere to existing agreements.”

The day after returning home from a trip that included a visit to Israel, Mitt Romney Wednesday announced the formation of the Jewish Americans for Romney coalition.

Romney, the Republican presidential candidate, met with Israeli officials in Jerusalem, raised more than $1 million from prominent donors and caused a stir among Palestinian officials when he suggested the Israeli culture helped lead to its economic progress.

The Jewish community historically votes overwhelmingly for Democratic presidential candidates, and polls suggest it will do so again this year.

But Romney will try to win that support.

"Having just visited Israel at a critical juncture in the history of the Middle East, I am persuaded that now, more than ever, America needs to stand with Israel. I will extend the hand of friendship because our partnership is not merely a strategic alliance but a force for good in the world," he said in a statement.

Listed as honorary chairmen are House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia, former Minnesota Sens. Rudy Boschwitz and Norm Coleman, former Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle and Florida U.S. House of Representatives candidate Adam Hasner.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid lashed out at Republicans in a scathing Senate floor speech Thursday, accusing the GOP of risking women's lives and costing Americans jobs.

"Consistently, this Congress has taken weeks or months to pass even simple, common-sense proposals – proposals that would previously have passed in minutes," he said in prepared remarks. "The Senate has wasted literally months considering bipartisan bills, only to have those bills smothered to death under piles of non-relevant, Republican amendments."

And, he charged, "congressional Republicans have held even the most important jobs measures hostage to extract votes on unrelated, ideological amendments."

Republicans, who control the House of Representatives and have 47 of the Senate's 100 seats, have countered that they want legislation routinely paid for, and have alternative approaches to job creation.

Reid pointed to recent reports that GOP Republican leaders see little chance for progress before the election. GOP leaders counter that they want progress but Democrats refuse to compromise.

"Rather than work with Democrats to strengthen our economy or create jobs, Congressional Republicans will put on a show designed to demonstrate the extreme, ideological direction in which they would lead the country," Reid said.

"Speaker Boehner and Leader McConnell’s statements are Orwellian – they do exactly the opposite of what they say."

"Republicans have launched a series of attacks on women’s access to health care and contraception, and filibustered legislation to ensure American women equal pay for equal work," he said. "They’ve put women’s lives at risk by holding the Violence Against Women Act in limbo."

Lawmakers from both parties agree the act should be passed, but differ on some aspects.

"They opposed our efforts to restore fairness to the tax code and to ensure billionaires don’t pay lower tax rates than middle-class families. They blocked a bill to hire more teachers, cops, firefighters and first responders," Reid said.

"And they stalled important jobs measures like the aviation jobs bill and the transportation jobs bill for months to pursue ideological battles. For months Congressional Republicans have actively worked against any piece of legislation that might create jobs or spur economic growth.

"Don’t take my word for it – just look at their record."

House Republican leaders Wednesday urged President Barack Obama to scrap a planned speech on education Thursday in Las Vegas so he can concentrate on a student loan interest rate agreement

Obama and Republicans are at odds over how to pay for freeezing the rate, due to increase July 1.

"With all of the great economic challenges facing our country, there is no reason to manufacture political fights where there is no policy disagreement. That’s why we cannot understand why you, without having responded to our latest offer, would schedule a campaign-style event in Nevada tomorrow to discuss student loan rates," wrote House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va..

"We urge you to consider cancelling tomorrow’s Las Vegas rally and instead work with us so that we can extend these rates before they expire and stay focused on additional measures to help create jobs," they wrote.