The Senate's $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, which will come up for a full vote this week, is "a gateway to socialism" that Democrats are using to "pave the way" for Sen. Bernie Sanders' $3.5 trillion spending bill, Sen. Marsha Blackburn said on Newsmax Monday, while explaining why she cannot support it.

"In my opinion, it's not enough about infrastructure," the Tennessee Republican said on Newsmax's "Wake Up America" about the first bill. "(It) is too expensive. It's a down payment on the Green New Deal. Blackburn also called it "unbelievable that 9% of this bill goes to actual infrastructure. Yet this is being billed as an infrastructure bill."