White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki is pushing back on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) after he said his focus is on stopping the Biden administration.
A reporter mentioned during a White House press briefing on Wednesday McConnell said, “100% of my focus is on stopping this new administration.”
She asked Psaki, “Are you concerned that it will be difficult to work with Republicans when you have these kinds of statements coming from their leader?”
Psaki replied, “I guess the contrast for people to consider is 100% of our focus is on delivering relief to the American people, on getting the pandemic under control and putting people back to work and we welcome support and engagement and work with Republicans on that.”
She continued, “The president has extended an open arm to that. The door to the Oval Office open.”
Watch part of the press briefing below:
Jen Psaki on Mitch McConnell's comment that all of his focus is on stopping the Biden administration: "I guess the contrast for people to consider is 100 percent of our focus is on delivering relief for the American people." pic.twitter.com/gRhlSCq89Z
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 5, 2021
McConnell vowed earlier last month he would “fight” the Biden administration, as IJR previously reported.
“I’m gonna fight them every step of the way because I think this is the wrong prescription for America,” he said.
The Senate minority leader said in March on Fox News he had not been invited to the White House, “So far this administration is not interested in doing anything on a bipartisan basis or in the political center. They’d be more than happy to pick off a few of our members and do what they would like to do.”
He also told the network he does not believe he has spoken to Biden “since he was sworn in. We had a couple of conversations before then.”
Psaki responded to McConnell’s claim during a press briefing, “[Biden] has a long friendship with leader McConnell. He has spoken with him, he speaks with him regularly… I expect that will continue.”