Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said Sunday he was optimistic the Senate’s bipartisan work on immigration reform could pave the way to other agreements. In an interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” Durbin said that despite frustration over deadlocked sequester talks, the Gang of 8 could be a model for bipartisan cooperation in the upper chamber. “I think that people who have given up on Congress would be encouraged to know that there’s a real positive dialogue — a positive bipartisan dialogue — and perhaps we can set the stage for a more positive dialogue when it comes to the budget,” Durbin said. The bipartisan group of seven senators has been meeting “every day,” he said, and they have “buckled down” to write a comprehensive immigration bill.

The Hill: Durbin: Senate immigration group a model for future deals

Arizona Republic: ‘Gang of Eight’ continue despite sequester battle

Washington Post: Obama to refocus attention on immigration, gun control