During an event at Georgetown University on Monday, Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) stated that the “only way” another government shutdown can be avoided is if Republicans in the Senate join Democrats to say, “we’re just not going to go through this again.”

Durbin said, “The only way to avoid another shutdown is if Republican senators will join Democratic senators and say, we’re just not going to go through this again. I think we’re close to that. I think there are enough Republicans that are just fed up with it. … So, we need 60, 47, we need 13 of them. At a high-water mark, we had nine, before this last shutdown was lifted. I think it’ll be hard as heck for the president to keep his ranks solid among Senate Republicans if he tries to go for another shutdown. So, I’ve got my fingers crossed that that will avoid that possibility. With votes in the Senate and in the House, we can fund the government, maybe even over his veto…if it reaches that point.”

Durbin added that it is possible to find common ground on immigration, “but I don’t know if we can find common ground with this president.”

(h/t Grabien)

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