Nikki Haley warns of Bernie Sanders as next Senate budget chair if Dems win Georgia races

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Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on Thursday highlighted the stakes of the upcoming Georgia runoffs -- warning that Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., would be in line to head the Senate Budget Committee if Democrats win the closely watched races.

“One of many reasons these Georgia races matter is that if the Dems gain control, Bernie Sanders becomes budget chair,” Haley tweeted.

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Both Georgia Senate races will go to runoffs in January, and their outcomes will decide whether Republicans or Democrats control the Senate next year. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., will face off against Democratic candidate Raphael Warnock, and Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., will defend his seat against Jon Ossof.

If Democrats win both seats, they will control the chamber, meaning that Democrats will control the House, Senate and White House. But if Republicans win at least one of the races, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will stay in charge.

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But Haley, who has campaigned for Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., in recent months, noted that Democratic control would mean more than just Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer taking control, and would affect who would control the various Senate committees.

Sanders, a self-described Democratic socialist, has been the ranking member of the budget committee since 2015, which means he is the most senior member of the minority party. Traditionally, the majority party member with the greatest seniority on a particular committee serves as its chairman.

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The budget committee’s current chair, Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., is retiring, leaving the spot open. If Republicans maintain control, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., is largely expected to take up the post.

Haley noted Sanders’ penchant for high spending, having advocated for a Green New Deal, Medicare-for-all and other multitrillion-dollar projects.

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“He has said he wants to slash military budgets and called for $97 trillion more in federal spending. Georgia, we are counting on you!” she tweeted, with the hashtag #SayNoToBernie

Fox News' Brittany De Lea contributed to this report.