“I have no doubt his position is safe, and we’re going to keep marching forward, continuing to build upon the historic wins that he’s been able to achieve this year,” Graves said of McCarthy, calling him “one of the best strategists we’ve ever had.”

Brennan pointed out that 71 House Republicans voted against the deal and noted that a number of them have continued to speak against the agreement. Graves said some of the opponents of the legislation were misinformed about the deal, even before it was finalized.

“Folks went out and began attempting to define a deal while still in negotiations,” he said. “There wasn’t even an agreement struck and their interpretation or definition of the agreement, as you can imagine, was flawed.”

Biden signed the legislation into law Saturday, thanking McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell “for their partnership.”

Brennan asked Graves if the two parties could build on the deal with more bipartisan legislation.

“The negotiations certainly were in good faith, but they also included a lot of candor,” he replied. “We had some tense moments throughout, but I would love to tell you we could build upon this.”