Obama to Work with Republicans on IS, Ebola, Says 'No Deal Better than Bad Deal' with Iran

U.S. President Barack Obama promised to work with his Republican opponents Wednesday after their midterm election victory and asked them to back his battles against Ebola and Islamic State jihadists.

"Obviously, Republicans had a good night," he admitted, after Republicans seized control of the Senate from Obama's Democrats and increased their majority in the House of Representatives.

"I'm eager to work with the new Congress to make the next two years as productive as possible," Obama said, while warning that there may still be some legislation that he would feel obliged to veto.

"That's natural. That's how our democracy works," he said. "But we can surely find ways to work together on issues where there's broad agreement among the American people."

Obama said that his first requests to the new Congress would be for help in battling the spread of Ebola in West Africa and beyond, and for support for U.S.-led military action against jihadists in Iraq and Syria.

"First, I've submitted a request to Congress for funding to ensure that our doctors, scientists, and troops have the resources that they need to combat the spread of Ebola in Africa and to increase our preparedness for any future cases here at home," Obama said.

That request is for more than $6 billion in emergency funding to fight the deadly epidemic.

"Second, I'm going to begin engaging Congress over a new authorization to use military force against ISIL," he said, using the U.S. government's preferred acronym for the so-called Islamic State group.

Obama also admitted that it was too early to say whether a U.S.-led military coalition has the upper hand against the IS in Iraq and Syria.

"I think it's too early to say whether we are winning because as I said at the outset of the ISIL campaign, this is going to be a long-term plan," he said, warning of a lengthy campaign ahead.

Turning to the issue of nuclear negotiations with Tehran, Obama said Washington has put forward a "framework" plan to help Iran meet its energy needs.

But, as a November 24 deadline for an accord between Iran and global powers looms, Obama repeated his assurance that: "I’d rather have no deal than a bad deal."