SPRINGFIELD — Saying that he could not justify “playing with other people’s lives” as millions of Americans went without their paychecks and benefits, Sen. Dick Durbin on Thursday defended his vote to reopen the government earlier this week after a record-long federal government shutdown that stretched more than seven weeks.

“I think that is the crudest form of political weapon that I can imagine — and that’s why I came to the conclusion that we had tried to find a bipartisan agreement, and we reached it,” Durbin said following an unrelated event in Springfield.

Durbin was one of eight members of the Senate Democratic caucus who joined Republicans in advancing the deal, providing the votes needed to break a filibuster. The measure passed Congress and was signed by President Donald Trum

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