Exclusive: U.S. Senate Republican leader McConnell opposes Obama on Cuba

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) walks to the Senate floor during a long series of votes, many on procedural matters or to confirm members of the Obama administration, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington December 13, 2014. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday he opposed President Barack Obama's move to normalize relations with Cuba, and spoke of steps lawmakers could take to try to rein in the new policy. In an interview with Reuters, McConnell also said that he and Obama have discussed the possibility of tackling major tax reform legislation and that any effort should not just focus on the country's biggest corporations, but should include help for small businesses as well. On another international matter, McConnell, who takes over in January as Senate majority leader, said that North Korea's computer hacking of Sony Corp is "more serious" than an act of vandalism, taking issue with a characterization Obama has used to describe the cyber attack. But McConnell refused to spell out steps he thinks the United States should take in response. (Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Eric Walsh)