Bernie Sanders on McConnell's additions to COVID relief bill: 'It is a deal breaker'

Sen. Bernie Sanders appeared Tuesday on The Rachel Maddow Show and spoke about the additions Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tacked on to the COVID relief bill that would give $2,000 to millions of Americans, after blocking a vote on the bill earlier in the day. Sanders has threatened to filibuster the veto override of the defense spending bill, possibly keeping senators in town over the holiday weekend, if there is not a vote on the relief package. Sanders said McConnell’s additions could kill the bill, which overwhelmingly passed in the House.

Attached to the relief package by McConnell was a repeal of Section 230 legal liability protections for internet platforms, and the formation of a commission to investigate election fraud, both of which President Trump has called for.

“As it currently stands, it is a deal breaker,” Sanders said. “You have an issue like Section 230, which is a very complicated and controversial issue, and you cannot just snap your fingers and in a day vote to eliminate it.”

Sanders doesn’t believe either of McConnell’s additions would pass on their own.

“If he separated the issue of section 230 and the so-called voter fraud thing, let people vote on that, my guess would be that both of those provisions would not get the 60 votes that they need.”

However, with several Republicans publicly expressing support for the relief package, Sanders thinks that if it’s voted on as a stand-alone bill, it has a chance of passing.

“Whether or not we can get the 12 or 13 Republicans that we need to pass the House bill, not sure,” Sanders said. “But I think we got a shot at it.”

The Rachel Maddow Show airs weeknights at 9 p.m. on MSNBC.

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