Naturally, this split is along party lines. Only one in the Illinois delegation voted no to end the shutdown and raise the debt ceiling.
“It’s better to be anywhere outside of Washington,” Durbin said. “When you have a family, 17 families, notified that they’ve lost a loved one in combat in the military, who can’t receive their military benefits as promised, that is a complete disgrace.”
Of the Illinois delegation, Republican Congressman Randy Hultgren was the only no vote on ending the budget compromise.
“I just don’t think this is the right approach when it does nothing to address the fact that we’re right at, or very near, $17 trillion of debt,” Hultgren said.
As the President looks to move on to other pressing issues like immigration reform, Republican Congressman Peter Roskam says hold on.
“I’ve always been in favor of reforming our immigration system, the question that’s been out there is do you pass the senate bill, that big bill that is so enormous? I don’t think that’s likely to pass the House of Representatives,” Roskam said.
Federal workers are back at their posts today and museums are reopened, but might we see this same crisis shutdown in January?
“The challenge moving forward is to take the President at his word, where he said he’s willing to negotiate on Obama Care—he made that very, very clear—and we’ve got several months now before those events are upon us,” Roskam said.
“Shutting down our government, diminishing our role in the world, reducing our credit rating—that hurts working families,” Durbin said.
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As for the lone dissenter from the Illinois delegation, there’s a suggestion he just may face a primary challenge from former congressman and now radio host Joe Walsh.
