MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Sen. Bernie Sanders says Republicans are to blame for the shutdown of the federal government, and it’s their responsibility to work with Democrats to get it reopened.
The independent Vermont senator tweeted on Saturday that Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “insisted on going forward with a doomed vote.” Sanders says McConnell could have brokered a deal with Democrats and Republicans, and the onus is on him to “negotiate seriously.”
Sanders voted against a measure to stop the government from shutting down on Friday night. The measure ultimately failed. He says lawmakers “must reopen the government as soon as possible.”
McConnell tweeted early Saturday morning that Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer failed to come forward with a compromise. He also accused Democrats of turning negotiations into a “hostage situation.”
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