De Blasio accuses Bennet of fearmongering on how to pay for ‘Medicare for All’

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) criticized Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) during Wednesday’s Democratic presidential primary debate, accusing him of “fearmongering” when he talks about tax increases being needed to pay for “Medicare for All.”

“I don’t understand why Democrats on this stage are fearmongering about universal health care. It makes no sense,” de Blasio said. 

{mosads}He added that Americans are upset about how they are being treated by the pharmaceutical industry and private insurance companies, and said that Democrats should be the party that does something “bold.”

De Blasio said that Bennet is “absolutely inaccurate” when he talks about taxes needing to go up under a single-payer plan.

“Americans right now are paying so much money for their health care. Ask people about the reality of premiums, deductibles, copays, out of pocket expenses. That’s worse than any tax, and people are paying that right now,” de Blasio said.

Bennet responded that his criticisms of Medicare for All have nothing to do with Republican talking points or the pharmaceutical industry.

“This has to do with having faith in the American people that they can make the right decisions for their families and they can choose a public option,” Bennet said

The Colorado senator noted that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a Democratic presidential candidate who has been a leader on Medicare for All, has said that he’d need to raise taxes to pay for it.

“He says that. Republicans don’t say it,” Bennet said. “Don’t try to distract from the truth.”

Sanders has floated a number of different ways to pay for Medicare for All, including a 4 percent, income-based premium on families making more than $29,000 per year, as well as a premium paid by employees, higher taxes on the wealthy and an expansion of the estate tax.