Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., blocked bipartisan legislation that would have funded kids' cancer research in a bid to attach funding to the legislation for community health centers. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
"And I hope to God that every single family that's going through this will hold the senator from Vermont accountable, and the state of Vermont will hold him accountable, too, because he's playing with kids' lives," he continued. "He's literally killing kids in front of us because of his political movement, and it is ridiculous."
Sanders' move to block the bill was not a surprise. Several lawmakers who spoke in favor of the legislation urged him not to go through with the decision as pediatric cancer research advocates looked on from the viewing gallery. But doing so once again sets the bill back to square one as Congress enters a new year.
The Vermont independent explained that he had no problem with the legislation, which would have incentivized the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and drug companies to encourage more relevant pediatric studies and invest in rare pediatric disease treatments, but he wanted to tack on an amendment to fund community health centers throughout the country.
DEMOCRATS' LAST-MINUTE MOVE TO BLOCK GOP FUNDING PLAN SENDS LAWMAKERS HOME EARLY
Tech billionaire Elon Musk briefly served as President Donald Trump’s government waste attack dog at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
Lawmakers who spoke in support of Mullin’s bill argued that they supported Sanders' desire to fund community health centers, but the underlying legislation was too important to let die on the vine again.
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, R-La., said he shared the concern for increased funding for health centers and committed to doing so when Congress returned, but that the "irony here is that the objection is going to come out of a genuine concern that people achieve healthcare."
"But there's no one way to treat the ills, literally, the ills of the United States of America, and to think that we can do it all at once, it's just not true," Cassidy said. "But also to say that you're not going to give a chance for children to have a cure for cancer if you don't get what you want, it's just not true. It is selfish. It is tragic."
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And Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., shared Sanders’ concern, but noted that the GOP-controlled House had not committed to tackling the issue of community health center funding.
"As disappointed as I am that the House isn't ready to support increased funding for community health centers, I also believe that it is important to take action on this package now to help address pediatric cancer and lower prescription drug costs," she said. "So I am disappointed that this bill will not move forward today."
Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/sanders-blasted-after-blocking-bipartisan-kids-cancer-research-bill-grinch-selfish