Sanders blocks pediatric cancer bill, delaying bipartisan aid for children

In a move that halted a fast-track vote, Sen. Bernie Sanders blocked unanimous consent in the Senate for the Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act, a bipartisan measure designed to expand access to pediatric cancer treatments and clinical trials. By withholding consent on Wednesday, Sanders pressed negotiators to attach riders for other health priorities, triggering a more lengthy floor process and delaying the measure as lawmakers head toward the holiday recess.

The House had approved the bill unanimously earlier this month, clearing a path that would have sent the legislation directly to President Trump’s desk after a Senate nod. The measure would reform provisions to ensure children with cancer can access key treatments and participate in clinical trials, and it would extend the Pediatric Priority Review Voucher Program to spur development of therapies for pediatric illnesses. The act is named after Mikaela Naylon, a 16-year-old from Colorado who died Oct. 29 after fighting osteosarcoma and who donated her body to science in the hope of aiding future research.

Naylon’s story and advocacy helped put a spotlight on the bill as pediatric cancer patients and their families pressed lawmakers for months to pass it. Sanders had indicated that while he supported advancing protections for kids with cancer, the package needed to include riders for other initiatives, such as funding for community health centers, a point echoed in reporting from The Bulwark. A motion to attach those riders to the legislation was rejected on the Senate floor, effectively stalling the bill’s advance this week.

“Really disgraceful,” said Senate Republican leader Sen. JD Vance, ref reacting to Sanders’ no vote. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) added, “Bernie Sanders single-handedly killed our bill to help pediatric cancer patients. We won’t let him forget it.” Sanders, responding to the dissent, argued on the floor that the bill’s goals were noble but insisted on reviving a bipartisan agreement that had been worked on across months by both parties. “We must revive that bipartisan agreement that was worked on month after month after month by Democrats and Republicans,” he said.

In a statement attributed to White House officials, James Blair, Deputy Chief of Staff, said on X that Sanders’ maneuver jeopardizes children’s access to potentially life-saving treatments: “Bernie Sanders killed a bill to help pediatric cancer patients. Why? For ‘leverage.’ He should be ashamed of himself. Democrats are sick, sick people.”

The procedural stalemate means the legislation will have to clear additional steps in the Senate, including committee review and floor debate, before a final vote and a direct path to the president’s desk. Sanders signaled he would revisit the issue when the Senate reconvenes in the new year, leaving pediatric cancer patients and their families awaiting a clearer timetable. If the bill does not move before Christmas, advocates say, momentum for a broader health package could be affected, and patients could face delays in access to novel therapies and access to expanded clinical trials.

The mechanism at the heart of the dispute—unanimous consent—has long been used to push bills through the Senate quickly when there is broad cross-party support. The House’s unanimous passage previously suggested wide alignment on the policy details, but critics argue that attaching unrelated priorities to a focused children’s health bill risks undermining bipartisan gains. Supporters maintain that a comprehensive approach to health funding, including facilities like community health centers, is essential to improving overall care for vulnerable populations. The debate underscored the difficult balancing act in a closely divided Senate as lawmakers weigh competing priorities and the political optics of bipartisan collaboration ahead of the 2026 election cycle.

As the chamber awaits action in January, families and advocates will watch closely to see whether the bill’s essentials—improved access to treatments and incentives for pediatric drug development—can be advanced separately from, or within, a broader funding package. The Mikaela Naylon act remains alive, but the path to passage has grown longer and more circuitous, reflecting the high-stakes politics surrounding health care policy and the promise of bipartisan reform for pediatric cancer patients.