U.S. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, DC, U.S. January 3, 2018. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congress should consult with the White House whenever it seeks confidential information that may be covered by executive privilege, a White House spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

“Whenever you have congressional inquiries touching upon (the) White House, Congress should consult with the White House prior to obtaining confidential material,” White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters.

Sanders’ answer came in response to a question relating to former Trump adviser Steve Bannon’s refusal to answer questions on Tuesday before a House of Representatives committee probing alleged efforts by Russia to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election.