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Durbin: Kirk Should Be Sworn-In In Time For Tax Vote

CHICAGO (WBBM) - Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says he's fairly certain that Republican Senator-elect Mark Kirk will be sworn in with enough time to participate in the Senate debate over extending the Bush-era tax cuts.

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Durbin says Mark Kirk cannot be seated until all the votes of the Nov. 2 election are counted and the results certified.

He says that will likely be the week after Thanksgiving.

But, he says, Republican Kirk and his supporters should not worry that he's being delayed past the vote on tax cuts.

Durbin says he doesn't expect his new Republican counterpart to miss any major votes on spending or extending the Bush tax cuts. Lawmakers are still trying to reach a compromise.

Durbin says he's hoping for a compromise that preserves the middle-class tax cuts. At issue is an extension of tax cuts for wealthier people.

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