Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersNYT editorial board remembers Ginsburg: She 'will forever have two legacies' Two GOP governors urge Republicans to hold off on Supreme Court nominee Sanders knocks McConnell: He's going against Ginsburg's 'dying wishes' MORE (I-Vt.) is pushing back on President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE's claim that Democrats have been obstructionists on tax reform, saying on Sunday that Democrats have been shut out of the process.

ADVERTISEMENT

"Democrats have been completely shut out of this process just as they've been shut out of the health-care legislation process," Sanders told CNN's Jake Tapper Jacob (Jake) Paul TapperPence aide dismisses concerns rushed vote on Trump nominee will hurt vulnerable senators Klobuchar: GOP can't use 'raw political power right in middle of an election' The Memo: Media accused of using kid-gloves on Biden MORE on "State of the Union."

Sanders was referring to a tweet from Trump on Friday, when the president accused Democrats of being "obstructionists" during the tax-reform process.

If Democrats were not such obstructionists and understood the power of lower taxes, we would be able to get many of their ideas into Bill! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 17, 2017

Sanders called the tweet "total nonsense."

"What this legislation is about is fulfilling the promises, Republican promises, made to wealthy campaign contributors. There is a reason why the billionaire class provides hundreds of millions of dollars in campaign contributions to Republicans, and now it's payback time," the senator said.

Sanders's comments come as Republicans inch closer to passing tax legislation, which would mark their first major legislative victory of the year.

The Senate legislation cleared a party-line vote in the Senate Finance Committee last Thursday — the same day that House Republicans approved their version of the tax-reform legislation.