Murray accused Republicans of creating a “manufactured crisis” by refusing to pass a clean debt ceiling increase or going to conference on the Senate and House budgets.

{mosads}“We’ve got to stop lurching from crisis to crisis to crisis,” Murray said. “Even if we know they are going to reverse course eventually … trying to push us towards a crisis has terrible consequences.”

Murray said that last time Republicans tried to stop a debt ceiling increase two years ago the result was sequestration, which is causing government furloughs.

She pointed out that Senate Democrats have asked Republicans to go to conference seven times but they continue to block the motion despite members of their own party calling for an agreement.

“I hope that Senate Republicans will listen to members of their own party who are calling for a conference,” Murray said. “I urge my Republicans colleagues to reconsider their approach. Join us in a budget compromise.”

Republicans have demanded that any budget conference report not include any increases in the debt ceiling or taxes.

The House GOP passed a bill last week, the Full Faith and Credit Act, which would allow the federal government to borrow money to make payments on the debt and Social Security, but Murray said that plan puts foreign creditors ahead of the American public.

“They are willing to put foreign creditor ahead of our families and seniors,” Murray said. “But a default is a default. … Our fragile economy would seriously be threatened again.”