Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday outlined the topics that Democrats want to bring up with their presumptive presidential nominee, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who is set to address the House Democratic Caucus on Tuesday.

National defense “is our first responsibility,” Pelosi said, “so we want to hear from him about how we keep the American people safe.”

Democrats will also be looking to talk about access to health care, and how to grow the economy, how to create jobs and how to govern with no new deficit spending, the Speaker said.

Pelosi noted that while Democrats “want to hear what he has to say,” they have already been laying the foundation “for this new direction and change. And we look forward to sharing ideas with him on those scores.”

On the issue of maintaining a Democratic majority in Congress beyond November, the Speaker said she feels “quite certain” that Democrats will pick up more seats. But with 100 days to go until the election, “there’s a lot of work between now and then.”

Pelosi said she met with about 20 Democratic candidates on Thursday morning and told them, “Your opponent is going to spend a lot of money defending a failed Republican agenda to serve in the deep minority under a Democratic president.”

“That’s not a good prospect for them,” Pelosi said.