Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is following President Barack Obama’s lead in reaching out to House Republicans.

Rep. Peter King (R-NY), ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, met privately with Napolitano Thursday morning and said he was encouraged by her promise during their discussion to meet with Republicans on the committee once a month.

King, who has been deeply critical of Napolitano and the Obama administration’s counterterrorism policies, called the one-on-one session a “positive step” but would not describe its full contents, which he said they had agreed to keep private.

“We were trying to find ways to work together--to make sure there was no personal and political difficulties getting in the way of that,” King said.

Napolitano spokesman Matt Chandler described the meeting as a routine part of the secretary’s regular duties.

“Secretary Napolitano meets with Republicans, she meets with Democrats, she meets with Independents, and she meets with members of both chambers,” he said. "Our homeland security is not a partisan issue."

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