By Edward Epstein, CQ Staff

Top House Democrats say the bipartisan, $145.9 billion stimulus plan the chamber passed Tuesday is just the beginning of their party’s efforts this year to address economic issues.

“A lot needs to be done for the American people and for families living paycheck to paycheck. We can’t afford to have another year of wasted debate” on longer-term job-creating measures, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.

So when Democrats gather Wednesday afternoon at the Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Va., for a three-day retreat, their theme will be “strengthening the economy, working for change.’’

The retreat’s main speaker will be Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, who will address members behind closed doors Feb. 1. Another session will feature several Democratic governors, who will focus on their states’ push for increased Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements.

While those pressing domestic policy concerns are intended to make up the bulk of the discussions, House Democrats also intend to spend some time on matters of war, peace and international relations. Zbigniew Brzezinski, a national security adviser under President Jimmy Carter, will speak to the early arrivals Wednesday.

Booking Brzezinski shows that the Democrats haven’t forgotten that the Iraq War is widely credited with restoring them to the majority, but the rest of the retreat’s agenda shows that the war is no longer commanding the bulk of the caucus’ attention.

In that regard, the agenda is in sync with public opinion polls.

An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll done earlier this month showed that the Iraq War was the top issue on the minds of just 17 percent of Americans surveyed; terrorism was foremost to 10 percent of respondents. Health care was rated No. 1 by another 17 percent, but 26 percent of those polled ranked economy as the top issue.

Banking on the Economy

Many of the economic ideas the Democrats plan to discuss are not new.

What is new is an atmosphere that makes them eager to make the case that, in addition to the stimulus bill (HR 5140) the House passed Tuesday, a wide variety of Democratic initiatives would boost the economy. For instance, some Democrats want to promote the economic benefits of their twice-vetoed plan to add millions of children to the children’s health insurance program (HR 976, HR 3963). Pelosi, D-Calif., and others in the caucus want to try again to expand eligibility.

Such an expansion, Democrats say, would create thousands of well-paying jobs for health care professionals and put money into the pockets of working-class parents by relieving them of a health care burden.

Pelosi also wants to move ahead with expanding unemployment insurance, spending billions of dollars on rebuilding the nation’s infrastructure and putting in place programs to combat global warming, which the Speaker says would create well-paying “green jobs.’’

“In the longer term than the stimulus, we want to create jobs to avoid a downturn and in any event to create good-paying jobs,” Pelosi said.

One idea on which there is bipartisan accord is further changes aimed at the mortgage industry.

Democrats enter their retreat fairly united on dealing with the economy, said Ellen O. Tauscher of California, who heads the centrist New Democrat Coalition.

That’s largely because President Bush’s economic policies have resulted in budget deficits and a soaring national debt, Tauscher said. “Our debate is with the Republicans rather than within the caucus,” she said.

The Democratic leadership opposes the main feature of Republicans’ plan for helping the economy: making permanent the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts (PL 107-16, PL 108-27).

Republicans say that allowing the cuts to expire in 2010 would amount to the largest tax increase in U.S. history.

GOP lawmakers seem to be as eager as the Democrats to have the nation’s attention on efforts to bolster the economy.

“The more we talk about the economy, the more the American people will see how destructive Democrats’ plan to let the tax increases expire has already been and how destructive it would be if it ever came into reality,” said Minority Whip Roy Blunt , R-Mo.

Political analyst Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia sees the balance sheet a little differently.

“The economy is bound to help the Democrats to a certain degree,” he said. “Democrats should make more proposals because it’s in their interest and because their strength is in domestic issues.”