Sen. Britt Urges Dems To “Do The Right Thing”

Alabama Junior U.S. Senator Katie Britt is demanding Democrats "Do the right thing," and end the ongoing federal government shutdown. The first term senator spoke on CBS "Face the Nation" from Tuscaloosa Sunday morning.

Appearing earlier in the program, Arizona Democrat Senator Mark Kelly told the national tv audience that the shutdown could end this week if Republicans would negotiate healthcare subsidies.

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However, Britt and other Republican lawmakers want Democrats to reopen the government first. "Democrats need to come to the table and do the right thing, " Britt reiterated.

"There are a lot of people that are being affected by the Democrats playing politics, and they need to actually do what's right, and that is work for the American people," Britt said. "And so, getting the government open is number one."

The dispute at the heart of the third longest U.S. government closure in history centers around a tax credit that helps 22 million Americans lower their health insurance costs when they buy policies through the Affordable Care Act's marketplaces.

Premiums will rise Nov. 1 if Congress doesn't extend a set of enhanced tax credits. "What we need to do is fix this health care premium issue and open the government," Kelly explained.

But Britt said Republicans believe Democrats have the cart before the horse. "We believe that you can walk and chew gum at the same time. Democrats, for some reason, don't think that that's possible," Britt replied in reacting to Kelly's comments. "They need to come to the table, open the government back up, and then we're happy to have a conversation about the broken system that they created and help them get out of their own mess."

Brit told host Margaret Brennan that she has been traveling the state. " I have heard countless stories of people who are not getting a paycheck, whether it's our men and women in uniform or those who serve alongside them, or whether we're talking to veterans or we're talking to just a number of people. When we're looking at what's happening with WIC, there are a lot of people that are being affected by the Democrats playing politics, and they need to actually do what's right, and that is work for the American people. And so, getting the government open is number one."

Congressional observers believe odds are increasing that the shutdown, which began Oct. 1, may continue into November as gridlocked lawmakers try to figure out how to end the standoff and still save face.