Sanders on Dems Using People as Leverage: GOP’s Not Negotiating

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Source,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) responded to criticism from Republicans that Democrats are using people as leverage by saying that the majority party has always negotiated to get 60 votes to avert a shutdown.

Host Kaitlan Collins asked, “[Y]ou’ve talked about health care, obviously, for decades, and how it needs to be fixed in this country. One thing, though, in terms of what this looks like, is how it’s being used in this shutdown. You’ve acknowledged that it’s a point of leverage for Democrats in the government shutdown, as you’re fighting to extend the Obamacare subsidies. Republicans have used that language from Democrats and saying that your leverage is hard-working Americans. What would you say to that?”

Sanders responded, “What I say is that, throughout the modern history of this country, when a majority party does not have 60 votes in the Senate to keep the government open, to pass a government budget, you need 60 votes, correct? That’s what you need, Senate rules. When Democrats had 52 votes, they had to negotiate with Republicans. Republicans have that. They have to negotiate with Democrats. This is the first time — I don’t know that people understand it — the first time in modern history where Republicans are not sitting down and negotiating with the Democrats to get the 60 votes. That’s what the 60 votes is supposed to do. They’re not doing it. That’s the reason for the shutdown.”

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