Sen. Sanders Defends Using Budget Reconciliation to Pass Biden’s $1.9 Trillion CCP Virus Relief Plan

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is seen prior to the Presidential Inauguration in Washington on Jan. 20, 2021. Greg Nash - Pool/Getty Images

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the incoming Senate Budget Committee chairman, said Senate Democrats may utilize the budget reconciliation process to quickly pass a COVID-19 relief bill if Republicans refuse to back President Joe Biden’s plans.

“We are going to use reconciliation, that is 50 votes in the Senate plus the vice president, to pass legislation desperately needed by working families in this country right now,” Sanders, a Democratic socialist, told CNN’s Dana Bash on Jan. 24 on “State of the Union.”