Gephardt: 'I stand with olive branches in both hands'

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Hours before the historic power shift in the Senate takes place, House Democratic Leader Richard Gephardt, D-Missouri, who is often accused by Republicans of being a strict partisan, announced his willingness to compromise with the GOP.

"I stand with olive branches in both hands, ready to sit down and talk to see what we can work out," he declared Tuesday.

But Gephardt said he thinks GOP leaders missed the message of Sen. Jim Jeffords when he left the Republican Party two weeks ago to become an independent.

"[House Majority Leader] Dick Armey said, 'We want to be more bipartisan, but we're not going to negotiate with Daschle and Gephardt.' I mean, it's like the message went over their head or around them and they didn't get it," Gephardt said.

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"We've always been willing to compromise," the longtime Democratic leader said at a news conference. "We are willing to come halfway and in some cases we'll go more than halfway."

Gephardt cited legislation to create a patients' bill of rights, a prescription drug benefit for Medicare, and a new national energy policy as areas in which he thinks the two parties can work together.

Moderate Republicans and Democrats are now "emboldened" with new power to forward their agenda, Gephardt said.

Gephardt predicted the Democrat-controlled Senate will send bipartisan bills to the House, where public pressure will weigh on GOP leaders to find compromises.

"I think the spotlight turns now on the Republican leadership in the House. Are they willing to really negotiate with the bipartisan solutions coming out of the Senate or do they continue on their 'my way or the highway' plan?"

Gephardt said President Bush has brought a new tone of civility to Washington, but he argued what Washington needs is a willingness to negotiate tough issues.

"I give him credit for being civil. I like him. He's a nice man. We've had some nice meetings, but that's different from what I'm suggesting here," he said. "What I'm encouraging is real, hard-headed tough negotiations to get solutions both sides can live with."