Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders warned on Sunday that Democrats were willing to use a rare congressional process to push through President Biden’s $ 1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.
Sanders, the new chairman of the Senate Budgets Committee, said on CNN that Dems will implement the move – known as reconciliation – “as soon as possible” if Republicans do not support the bill.
“What we cannot do is wait weeks, weeks and months to move forward. We have to act now, ‘he said of’ State of the Union ‘.
The procedural tactics would allow the Senate to pass legislation by a simple majority of 50, plus Vice President Kamala Harris’ breakthrough, instead of the 60 votes normally required.
Republicans used the Senate rule in 2017 to pass a tax cut and in an effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Sanders, an independent who consults with the Democrats, said the party would use reconciliation to “pass legislation that is badly needed for working families in this country at the moment.”
“I criticized Republicans for using reconciliation to give tax breaks to billionaires…,” he said. “And if they want to criticize me for helping feed kids who are hungry – or seniors in this country who are isolated and alone and don’t have enough to eat, they can criticize me.”
“I think this is the right step forward.”
Sanders stressed the urgency to approve the COVID-19 package, saying, “If we don’t respond now, yes, I believe the Republicans will be saying, ‘Hey, you chose these guys, they didn’t do anything , vote for us, “and they will win.”
“The American people are hurting and they want us to act.”