At the Democratic debate in Los Angeles Thursday, former Vice President Joe Biden responded to the criticism that he is too willing to work with Republicans in Congress, a position that puts him out of step with the progressive wing of his party.

Biden has suggested to voters that when Trump is out of office, Republicans will have “an epiphany” and come to the table to work with Democrats on sensible policies.

“I didn’t say ‘return to normal,’” Biden said. “Normal is not enough. In fact, we have to move beyond normal, whether it’s health care, the environment, whatever it is. We have to build on what we started in [the Obama] administration. And that’s been interrupted very badly.”

Biden said getting Trump out of office is “not going to change things in a fundamental way” when it comes to bipartisanship.

Joe Biden. (Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

“But what it will do is it will mean that we’re in a position where his base is not going to be able to intimidate, his base is not going to be able to intimidate those half a dozen Republicans we may need,” Biden continued.

“I refuse to accept the notion, as some on this stage do, that we can never, never get to a place where we have cooperation again,” he continued. “If that’s the case, we’re dead as a country.

Biden added: “If anyone has reason to be angry with the Republicans and not want to cooperate, it’s me, the way they’ve attacked me, my son, my family. I have no love. But the fact is, we have to be able to get things done and when we can’t convince them, we go out and beat them.”

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