President Obama reached out to a number of Republican and Democratic leaders Tuesday night as it became clear that Democrats would lose control of the Senate — and his final two years would be spent with a Republican Congress.
Obama has been criticized for not reaching out frequently enough to lawmakers, and Tuesday’s telephone calls were likely viewed as a welcome step by Republicans and Democrats alike.
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Still, it remains unclear how willing the president is to compromise with Republicans, especially as he prepares executive action on immigration. Republicans contend that such a unilateral move would poison any chance of bipartisan movement on a number of key issues.
According to the White House, Obama phoned the following elected officials:
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo.
Gov.-Elect Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark.
Sen.-Elect Mike Rounds, R-S.D.
Sen.-Elect Shelly Moore Capito,R-W. Va.
Sen.-Elect Gary Peters, D-Mich.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.
Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.
Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Pennsylvania Gov.-Elect Tom Wolf, D-Pa.
Sen.-Elect James Lankford, R-Okla.
Sen.-Elect Tom Cotton, R-Ark.
Gov. John Kasich, R-Ohio
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.
Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.
Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn.
Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark.
Rep.-Elect Seth Moulton, D-Mass.
Gov. Robert Bentley, R-Ala.
Gov. Bill Haslam, R-Tenn.
