(CNN) Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday lambasted Republican senators who had objected to provisions in the $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package that they said would incentivize unemployment, accusing them of fixating on minor perks for workers amid a crisis.

"What happened is Sen. (Lindsey) Graham and some other Republicans, they are just terribly upset that low-income workers might receive a bit more money than they otherwise would have earned," Sanders told CNN's Anderson Cooper, before the chamber voted on the bill.

Sanders' comments came after the package hit a last-minute snag Wednesday afternoon when Graham, a South Carolina Republican, and GOP Sens. Tim Scott of South Carolina, Rick Scott of Florida and Ben Sasse of Nebraska argued that it would incentivize unemployment and could trigger worker shortages and supply disruptions by providing more money to some jobless workers than they would make working.

"Here we are in the midst of the worst economic downturn perhaps since the Great Depression, tens of millions of people are worried to death about how they're going to feed their families, pay their rent, prevent a foreclosure," Sanders added. "And these guys are just staying up nights worrying about low-income workers getting a few bucks more."

Sanders also accused the Republicans of backing corporations over workers, highlighting their support for President Donald Trump's 2017 tax plan

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