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Most importantly, the progressive caucus budget is designed to get us back to full employment. It calls for a major program to modernize and improve our infrastructure. It would also provide funding to state and local governments to reverse many of the cutbacks in education, healthcare and other areas over the last few years. In past recoveries, state and local hiring has helped to boost the recovery. In this recovery, cutbacks slowed growth.

Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, appreciates that the proposal draws the connection between public spending and job creation. "The basic outlines make very good sense," Baker says. "We still are way below full-employment by any reasonable measure. The best way to boost the economy is with more spending–we could wait for the private sector until our face turns blue, it's not gonna happen."

The idea that the government shouldn't invest for job creation and economic growth has been a roadblock in the way of infrastructure construction, expanded preschool programs, and the rehiring of laid-off schoolteachers, police officers and firefighters. It's why Washington's best ideas for cutting the budget include taking food off the tables of the needy, leaving the unemployed to fend for themselves, and nickel-and-diming the disabled. Today the Congressional Progressive Caucus unveiled its better idea, a budget resolution that restores the sequester cuts and calls for $820 billion in infrastructure spending through 2024.

The Caucus calls it the "Better Off Budget," and it puts its money where its mouth is. Thank goodness they've issued it, because it puts in perspective how much is actually within our nation's reach. It is aimed right where it should be: at creating jobs. The budget acknowledges that our jobs crisis is far from over (I'd call it the jobs emergency budget, of course). And it rightly says we can solve our problems.