Bernie Sanders says McConnell’s additions to COVID relief bill are a deal breaker

On The Rachel Maddow Show Tuesday night, Senator Bernie Sanders said the additions Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attached to the $2,000 COVID relief package could kill the bill. After blocking a vote on the relief package, McConnell added provisions that would repeal Section 230 legal liability protections for internet platforms and form 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 has threatened to filibuster the veto override of the defense spending bill if there is no vote on the relief package, which overwhelmingly passed in the House. Sanders also said he doesn’t believe either provision would pass on its own, but with several Republicans expressing support for the $2,000 relief package, it has a chance if voted on as a stand-alone bill.

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

Video Transcript

BERNIE SANDERS: My plan is pretty simple. It is to demand that Mitch McConnell allow the United States Senate to vote up or down on that legislation that was passed by the House.

- Senator Bernie Sanders joined the "Rachel Maddow Show," where he spoke about the additions Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tacked onto the $2,000 COVID relief bill after blocking a vote on it earlier in the day. Sanders has threatened to filibuster the veto override of the defense spending bill if there is no vote on the relief package. And on Tuesday night, he said, McConnell's additions could kill the bill.

BERNIE SANDERS: As it currently stands, it is a deal breaker. Uh, you have an issue like this Section 230, which is a very complicated and controversial issue.

- Yeah.

BERNIE SANDERS: And you cannot just snap your fingers and in a day vote to eliminate it.

- 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. But Sanders doesn't believe either would pass on their own.

BERNIE SANDERS: If he separated the issue of Section 230 and this 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.

- Several Republicans have expressed support for the $2,000 relief package. And Sanders believes if it's voted on as a standalone bill, it has a chance of passing.

BERNIE SANDERS: Whether or not we could get the 12 or 13 Republicans that we need to pass the House bill-- not sure. But I think we got a shot at it.