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Standing under the scorching sun with the temperature approaching 90 degrees, liberal members of Congress, mayors, economists, labor leaders and activists gathered outside of Capitol Hill to rally behind a new progressive policy blueprint.

With the 2016 presidential campaign well underway, the set of proposals lays down a prominent marker for the priorities of the liberal wing of the Democratic Party -- a faction that's been eager to flex its muscles in the policy sphere and in recent years has found a powerful voice in Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

RELATED: Senate Dems block key Obama priority

It will also likely serve as a measuring stick for Democratic presidential candidates, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, whom liberals are pushing to support progressive policy ideas.

"The crisis of economic inequality is massive. But it is well within our power to take it head-on," New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "And we won't do it from the top down. We'll do it as a progressive force."

With more than 80 signatories, the agenda includes more than a dozen specific proposals, most of them already widely supported within the Democratic Party.

They include raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, passing comprehensive immigration reform; passing national paid sick leave and family leave; a universal pre-K program and closing certain tax loopholes that benefit investors.

At least some of those proposals, like raising the federal minimum wage, are unlikely to gain traction in a GOP-controlled Congress.

Wednesday's press conference also came moments after Senate Democrats rebelled against President Barack Obama by voting against a key procedural motion on the so-called "fast-track" trade bill, and served as a victory rally for progressives who opposed the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

New York Rep. Charlie Rangel said at the event that the trade agreement does not protect the working people.

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Progressives unveil income inequality plan in D.C ...

The same liberal Democratic senators who stuck with the White House through six years of politically excruciating votes are set to break away in droves to oppose Obama's free trade efforts.

Their goal is to block a bill that greases the wheels for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an enormous 12-country trade deal that Obama wants -- badly -- to add to his legacy. And their open rebellion against their own party's president shows that lawmakers are viewing their own political fortunes as increasingly divorced from Obama's.

The internal rift will be forced into the open Tuesday when the Senate casts its first procedural votes on a bill called "trade promotion authority" -- or "fast track."

RELATED: Obama steps in with outsourcer at Nike

It would allow Obama to submit trade deals to Congress for an up-or-down vote with no amendments. That's key, trade negotiators say, to getting other countries involved in the talks, like Japan, Australia, Canada and Mexico, to take their own political risks of signing off on a final agreement, knowing American lawmakers won't seek to re-open it later.

Both Republican and Democratic aides remain uncertain about the vote's outcome -- suggesting there's a real chance the Senate could fall short of the 60 votes necessary to begin debate on the trade bill.

If that happens, it won't mean the bill is dead. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell could shelve it temporarily and bring it back up at a later date. But it would still be a worrisome sign for Obama, who often only seems able to bend Congress to his will when government shutdowns or debt ceiling breaches are at risk.

"At this point it's very questionable," whether 60 senators will vote to begin debate, said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois. "Most Democrats including those who are supporting fast track really want to know what they are voting for and so far Sen. McConnell has been very furtive in his strategy."

In public, Obama is at war with liberal firebrand Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who he said this weekend is "absolutely wrong" on the issue.

All the while, Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner to replace Obama, has been caught in the middle, offering only tepid statements that allude to liberals' concerns without taking a stand for or against the deal.

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Trade highlights Democrats' divorce from Obama ...

Welcome to day 29 of the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign!

In those 29 days including April 12, the day she announced, and today Clinton has taken a total of eight questions from the press. That breaks out to roughly one question every 3.6 days. Of late, she's taken even fewer questions than that. According to mediareports, the last day Clinton answered a question was April 21 in New Hampshire; that means that she hasn't taken a question from the media in 20 straight days.

Carly Fiorina, one of the many newly minted Republicans running for president, is doing everything she can to shine a light on Clinton's close-mouthed approach with the press. This came from Fiorina deputy campaign manager Sasha Isgur Flores this morning:

In the last eight days, Carly has been interviewed almost 30 times and answered well over 300 questions. She continues to impress voters, pundits, and reporters alike with her willingness to share her thoughts and ideas and to answer any question, from whether she likes hot dogs to how she would tackle the crisis in the Middle East. ...This is in stark contrast to many other candidates and most especially to Hillary Clinton.

And it's not just the Republican candidates attacking Clinton on her silence. The New York Times posted an item on its "First Draft" blog last week titled "Questions for Hillary Clinton: Immigration" in which Amy Chozick wrote: "This is the first installment of a regular First Draft feature in which The Times will publish questions we would have asked Mrs. Clinton had we had the opportunity." And, late last month, I offered up seven questions Clinton should answer.

The Clinton campaign's response to all of this? Blah. Reporters whining like they always do. And, as every Clinton staffer is quick to note, she has answered questions from lots of regular people during her first month as a candidate holding roundtables in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. They are also quick to note that she makes opening statements at these roundtables.

She's taking questions from voters! She's talking about policy! You guys just don't like it because she's not falling all over herself to jump through your hoops!

So, for roughly the billionth time, let me make two points in response to that way of thinking.

1. Making policy statements/opening statements does not remove the need to answer actual questions from reporters.

2. While answering questions from hand-picked audience members is not without value, no one could possibly think it is the equivalent of answering questions from the working press.

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Hillary Clinton hasnt answered a question from the media ...

Story highlights George Zimmerman was injured from broken glass after a bullet flew through his truck The other man involved said Zimmerman had waved a gun, and he acted in self-defense

Zimmerman and Apperson have had tense encounters before. In September, Apperson accused the former neighborhood watch volunteer of threatening him in what Zimmerman's lawyer described as a "quasi-road rage incident."

Two days later, police stopped Zimmerman after Apperson called 911 to say he thought he saw Zimmerman near his office.

No charges were filed in either of those cases. But on Monday, Apperson allegedly fired a shot into Zimmerman's truck in Lake Mary, Florida. It's just the latest case involving Zimmerman, the man who fatally shot unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012.

Exactly what happened Monday depends on which side you ask.

Zimmerman's attorney Don West said a man driving behind his client was flashing his lights and honking his horn at him.

"The man pulled up next to George yelling obscenities at him," West told CNN.

Zimmerman recognized Apperson as someone he had a problem with several months ago, the attorney said.

"He rolled his window up and he decided to get away, not to provoke it whatsoever," West said. "And the fellow followed him -- followed him around the U-turn and then pulled up to him and shot at him."

The bullet went through Zimmerman's side window and almost hit him in the head, West said. Zimmerman was hit by glass from the window, but not the bullet. He was taken to a hospital for minor injuries and then released, police said.

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George Zimmerman injured after shooting - CNN.com

In a dramatic 911 call released today from a shooting involving a man firing his gun at George Zimmerman, a caller told a police dispatcher that "a guy just said he had to pull a gun on a guy."

The caller explained to the operator that the "guy" -- referring to the alleged shooter Matthew Apperson -- said "he had to shoot at someone through his window so he wants the police to come. ... He said it was George Zimmerman."

On Monday, a police officer in Lake Mary, Florida was flagged down by Zimmerman, who said someone had fired at him while he was in his car, according to a statement from the Lake Mary Police Department.

At the same time, someone called 911 on behalf of Apperson, reporting that he had said he shot Zimmerman, police said.

Apperson looked "visibly shaken" in the aftermath of the shooting, according to a man who called 911 after the incident.

Bystander Ken Cornell said a man -- who identified himself to police as Apperson -- came up to him, screaming, "Please call 911. ... I just shot George Zimmerman."

WFTV

PHOTO: George Zimmerman suffered minor injuries in a shooting incident in Lake Mary on Monday afternoon, May 11, 2015, according to Lake Mary police and Zimmerman's attorney, Don West.

Zimmerman was hospitalized with minor injuries and later released, according to police.

Two handguns were recovered in Apperson's car as a result of a search warrant, police said today.

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George Zimmerman: 911 Calls Released in Florida Shooting ...