Illinois senators predict supercommittee will reach deal by Nov. 23

Both of Illinois's senators say the supercommittee will reach a deal by the panel's Nov. 23 deadline.

"I think the committee is going to work," Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) said Monday, according Monday to Crain's Chicago Business. "You will hear it's going to fail right up until it succeeds."

Kirk was speaking alongside Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) at an event when he made the remarks, according to the Chicago newspaper. 

Durbin also voiced optimism, according to Crain's.

Their optimistic comments come as the deadline approaches for the committee to reach a deal that cuts at least $1.2 trillion from the federal deficit over the next decade. If the panel is unable to reach a deal, a trigger will go into effect that cuts hundreds of billions of dollars in both defense and domestic spending.

Kirk and Durbin's comments contrast with those made by Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), the Democrats' top messaging senator, who said a week ago that he did not think the supercommittee would be able to reach a deal by Nov. 23.

“I don't think ... the supercommittee is going to succeed because our Republican colleagues have said 'no net revenues,' ” Schumer said on MSNBC.