Bernie Sanders Promises To Pay 'Every Nickel of Medicare for All,' Refuses To Explain How
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said this week that “every nickel of Medicare for All” would be paid for, but he didn’t know yet the exact details regarding funding for his proposal.
The 2020 Democratic presidential candidate discussed his health care plan in an interview with CNBC’s John Harwood.
Harwood pointed out that Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren is “producing plans” to pay for “Medicare for All” and asked Sanders if he thought it was important to identify where he thinks the funding for the plan should come from.
“At a time of massive income and wealth inequality, it is my view that the wealthiest people in the country, the top 1/10th of 1 percent should be substantially more than they’re paying right now,” Sanders replied.
The “Speakeasy” host then asked if Sanders still has “more revenue to go to make it fully paid for.”
“The fight right now is to get the American people to understand that we’re spending twice as much per capita, that of course, we can pay for it. We’re paying it now in a very reactionary, regressive way. I want to pay for it in a progressive way,” Sanders said.
“You’re asking me to come up with an exact detailed plan of how every American — how much you’re going to pay more in taxes, how much I’m going to pay. I don’t think I have to do that right now.”
Sanders said even though the details on funding his health care plan are fuzzy right now, he “will do a lot better than Trump” in managing the country’s deficit because every proposal he has brought up will be paid for.
“Change can take place when you motivate people, when you get people organized when they stand up for justice,” Sanders said.
Harwood then asked the senator to prioritize his different proposals, but Sanders refused.
“We must save the planet. That’s not an option. We have got to combat climate change. America’s got to lead the world,” Sanders said.
“I will demand that every American has health care as a human right. I will not allow hundreds of thousands of bright young kids not to be able to go to college because they lack the income or 45 million people to be suffering from large student debt.”
According to the RealClearPolitics polling average, Sanders has slipped to third place, with just 16.7 percent support nationwide, trailing former Vice President Joe Biden and Warren.
After Sanders’ heart attack earlier this month, some people have started to question how his age will come into play during his candidacy.
“He wants to run,” campaign manager Faiz Shakir said. “Our job is to make sure he knows he’s in a marathon, not a sprint.”
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