Pete Buttigieg hit Bernie Sanders for his “lack of transparency” on the cost of his Medicare for All plan on Wednesday night during the NBC Democratic debate, stating that even after raising taxes on middle class Americans “there is still a multi-trillion dollar hole.”
“But I’m actually less concerned about the lack of transparency on Sanders’ personal health than I am about the lack of transparency on how to pay for his health care plan. Since he said that it’s impossible to even know how much it’s going to cost. And even after raising taxes on everybody making $29,000, there is still a multi-trillion dollar hole. Matter of fact, if you add up his policies altogether, they come to $50 trillion. He’s only explained $25 trillion worth of revenue,” Buttigieg said.
Sanders’ “lack of transparency” comes from a January interview with CBS News, where the senator said that “nobody knows” how much his Medicare for All plan will cost.
Previously, Sanders has admitted that taxes on the middle class will go up as a result of Medicare for All, but in recent months, he hasn’t been very open about that portion of the plan.
In fact, during a Las Vegas town hall on his housing plan, Sanders said that taxes will not go up “one nickel” because of the plan, but that is misleading because many of his proposals raise taxes substantially on the middle class.
According to a report by the Urban Institute, the pricey healthcare plan will require $32 trillion in new taxes over the next decade, which is much more than Sanders would like to admit.
If you want to stay up-to-date on their threats to raise taxes, visit www.atr.org/HighTaxDems.