Sen. Bernie Sanders accused Republicans on Sunday of being more interested in taking control of Congress than in helping Americans find jobs and get back on stable footing.

President Barack Obama “wants to do what most Americans want him to do, to reach out, bring people together,” the Vermont Independent said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

“But what has happened is the Republicans have said no, no, no,” he added. “They have waged more filibusters than any time in the history of this country. They have been the party of ‘no’ and obstructionism. And at some point what the president has got to understand: They do not want America to succeed. They’re into politics.”

When pressed by host Bob Schieffer on whether he was being harsh, Sanders said no.

“Given the choice between regaining power or obstructing the initiatives that create jobs, that protect the American people, yes, I think gaining power is their major initiative,” Sanders said.

He added that Obama’s legislative successes are “nothing to sneeze at,” particularly the health care and financial regulatory overhauls, but he said many people still believe Obama is out of touch when it comes to helping the middle class.

“There’s a concern that the president hasn’t seen that urgency, stood up for working families in the way we would like him to do, and taken on the big-money interests and said to the American people exactly what [President Franklin Roosevelt] said in the 1930s: ‘Listen, I am on your side. Their greed, their recklessness on Wall Street has caused these problems. I’m going to take them on. I’m coming to you,'” Sanders said.