Obama on GOP Congress: I'll probably need my veto pen

President Obama has vetoed only two bills during his time in the White House, but that number is expected to rise in 2015.

Preparing to deal with a Republican-run Senate as well as another GOP House, Obama told NPR News that "I haven't used the veto pen very often since I've been in office, partly because legislation that I objected to was typically blocked in the (Democratic-run) Senate even after ... Republicans took over the House."

Now, with Republicans winning control of the Senate in the November elections, "I suspect there are going to be some times where I've got to pull that (veto) pen out," Obama said. "And I'm going to defend gains that we've made in health care; I'm going to defend gains that we've made on environment and clean air and clean water."

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who becomes majority leader when the new Republican Senate takes office next month, said he will pursue bills that Senate Democrats have opposed in the past, including the Keystone XL oil pipeline and a series of jobs bills.

"Bipartisan jobs bills will see the light of day and will make it to the President's desk, and he'll have to make decisions about ideology versus creating jobs for the middle class," McConnell said. "There's a lot we can get done together if the President puts his famous pen to use signing bills rather than vetoing legislation his liberal allies don't like."

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In his NPR interview and in other public comments, Obama said he wants to work with congressional Republicans on areas of mutual interest. Those issues could include free trade, jobs, infrastructure, and tax reform.

"The fact that we disagree on one thing shouldn't prohibit us from getting progress on the areas where there's some overlap," Obama told NPR News.