U.S. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said on Tuesday that Congress should not adjourn on March 26 for its two-week Easter recess without addressing financial reform.

A day after unveiling his long-awaited legislative package of reform measures, the Connecticut Democrat told MSNBC that public demand for new Wall Street regulation was too strong to risk waiting longer in a congressional election year.

We really can't allow this Congress to adjourn without addressing these basic issues, Dodd said in an interview.

(Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Paul Simao)