If President Barack Obama wants to achieve progress on his desired reforms, he needs to be "realistic" in his State of the Union message Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
McConnell said on the Senate floor: "Tuesday can be a new day. This can be the moment the president pivots to a positive posture. This can be a day he promotes serious, realistic reforms that focus on economic growth and don't just spend more money we don't have,"
The Hill reported.
"There's much we can get accomplished for the American people, if the president's willing to work with us. We'll be looking for signs of that in the speech he delivers."
Republicans expect to encounter Obama opposition and vetoes over several issues, notably approval of construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and legislation altering the number of hours that constitute a full-time job. But they see potential areas of agreement on free trade and tax reform,
The Washington Times reported.
However, McConnell's contentious past with Obama — in 2010, he once famously said, "the single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president" — indicates tough times ahead when it comes to reaching compromise.
McConnell confirmed that, noting in his Senate speech: "We've got some distance to cover."
White House press secretary Josh Earnest said: "The president is looking forward to a robust, constructive discussion on those areas where we do agree," the Times reported.
"They do exist and the president's looking forward to talking about them.
"This doesn't require any charm," Earnest said. "That just requires a willingness on both sides to try to meet in the middle, to try to find some common ground and compromise and move the country forward."
In a commentary for the
Cincinnati Enquirer, McConnell wrote: "If President Obama is interested in historic achievement, this can be his time, too. But bipartisan progress can only be achieved if he wants it. He's the only one who can bring his party on board or sign what Congress passes.
"I know it won't be easy for him. The president's supporters are pressing for militancy, not compromise. But they need to understand that democracy isn't about what you can get away with, but about what you can achieve together."
The Washington Examiner reported that McConnell said compromise will depend on whether Obama offers proposals that "correspond to the message voters delivered in November."
This means enacting "a different and better reform agenda for the middle class," The Hill said.
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