Franken: Washington impasses distracting lawmakers from critical work

With just a few days left before the federal government's supply of cash runs dangerously low, Minnesota's U.S. Senators remained in Washington for the weekend.

In a speech on the Senate floor, DFL Sen. Al Franken said the government shutdown and debt ceiling showdown have distracted lawmakers from vital issues such as education and job training.

"Every day that government stays shut down, every day we wake up under the threat of default, every day we spend focused on something that isn't spent working together to create jobs and rebuild the middle class is, in my mind, a tragedy," Franken said.

Congressional Republicans have mostly backed off their demands that the 2010 healthcare law be significantly altered before the government is reopened or the borrowing limit raised. But the two parties are still at an impasse over government spending levels.