US President Barack Obama with Mitch McConnell, left, and House Speaker of Ohio in the White House in Washington. (Associated Press photo)
Washington:
US President Barack Obama is hosting incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for a private White House meeting.
The White House says Obama will meet with the Kentucky Republican today afternoon in the Oval Office. Reporters won't be allowed in for the meeting.
It's their first one-on-one since Republicans won control of the Senate in November. The election positioned McConnell to take the helm of the Senate when the new Congress is seated in January.
The meeting comes as Congress rushes to pass a year-end spending plan to avert a government shutdown. Obama and Republicans are also at odds over the President's executive actions on immigration.
After the election, Obama said he'd enjoy sharing some Kentucky bourbon with McConnell. There was no indication of whether Wednesday's meeting will include bourbon.