Sanders skips coronavirus stimulus vote for event with AOC, Omar, Tlaib
Sen. Bernie Sanders claims he’s too busy dealing with the coronavirus crisis to pull the plug on his ailing campaign — but when it came time to vote on a crucial, $1.8-trillion stimulus package on Sunday night, the presidential wannabe was in Burlington, Vermont holding a campaign event.
While the rest of the Senate hammered out the package into the early hours of Monday morning, Sanders was continuing his doomed White House bid with a virtual “coronavirus roundtable,” starring firebrand reps. Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Sanders spent the first 30 minutes of the video hectoring his Senate colleagues over the bill, accusing Republicans of giving the Trump administration “a blank check to hand out corporate welfare.”
“I know some of my Republican colleagues are talking about a one-time, $1,000 payment,” he said, referring to the proposal of sending direct checks to American families.
“Really? Really? Yeah, that’ll last you for two or three weeks. What happens after that?” he added.
The 78-year-old self-described socialist has resisted repeated calls to drop out of the race now that his odds of winning are virtually impossible.
After being thumped by former veep Joe Biden in last week’s primaries, Sanders exploded in a foul rant when a reporter asked him about the future of his campaign.
“I’m dealing with a f—ing global crisis,” Sanders snapped at veteran CNN congressional reporter, Manu Raju.
But when it came time to vote on the trillion-dollar package that would help offset the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanders was missing in action.
The package was deadlocked after Senate Democrats blocked the measure, 47-47, claiming it didn’t do enough for workers and health care providers.
Lawmakers will return on Monday to continue hammering out the details of the historic bill which is almost three times the size of the 2008 bank bailout.
The Sanders campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment.
