No. 2 Senate Democrat: Deal must be done on debt

[July 11, 2011]  WASHINGTON (AP) -- The No. 2 Senate Democrat is demanding that fellow lawmakers "stay, close the deal" on a new budget agreement to avert a government default in about three weeks.

Sen. Dick Durbin says "I'm disappointed" that White House talks led by President Barack Obama failed to make headway Sunday night.

Appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America," the Illinois Democrat insisted that both Democrats and Republicans must "be willing to put things on the table and get this thing resolved."

Durbin opposed a stopgap solution, saying "I am worried about this idea that we can lurch from week to week and month to month." He said that if lawmakers don't have the will to get a deal done, public outrage over economic conditions is going to "fall on our shoulders."

[Associated Press]

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