Durbin on impending debt ceiling deadline: ‘We’re gonna get this done’

By Rachel Janfaza, CNN

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin projected confidence that the Democratic majority in the Senate will not let the United States government run out of money October 18, when it’s on track to hit the borrowing ceiling set by Congress.

“We’re gonna get this done, and we’re gonna do it in a responsible way and face this as soon as we return next week,” Durbin, an Illinois Democrat, told CNN’s Dana Bash on “State of the Union” Sunday.

“This would be deadly to our economy. It would cost us six million jobs,” Durbin said about hitting the debt ceiling.

Durbin’s comments Sunday come as Republicans in the Senate, led by Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have said Democrats will need to raise the debt limit alone, using the reconciliation process and just Democratic votes.

Yet, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have said they will not do that.

Pressed by Bash as to whether Democrats would use reconciliation and avoid the filibuster to protect the US economy, Durbin said McConnell is “playing games with a loaded weapon here” by insisting that “the filibuster be applied to the debt ceiling.”

“It may be the first time in history that that’s happened,” Durbin said, adding that McConnell’s tactics may come “at the expense of this economy.”

Durbin said he believes if McConnell’s strategy prevails, the result “would be a disaster, a financial disaster.”

This is a breaking story and will be updated.

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