Vice President Joe Biden says keeping Democratic control of the U.S. Senate in next week's election would "break the back of the hard right" and ease gridlock in Washington.

During an event Monday for Democrat Bruce Braley in Davenport, Iowa, Biden said Democrats can "stop the march of the tea party" by winning Nov. 4.

He says if Democrats maintain their Senate majority, "You are going to see reasonable people in the Republican Party start to vote reasonably again." Biden said if Republicans win control, the party will resist compromises.

Republicans need to gain six seats to control the Senate. Braley is in a tight race against Republican Joni Ernst for Iowa's open Senate seat.

Biden was also in Minnesota and Illinois recently, and was to visit Illinois again Monday.