‘Mathematical gymnastics’: Democratic rivals slam Warren over ‘Medicare for all’ funding plan

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/mathematical-gymnastics-democratic-rivals-slam-warren-over-medicare-for-all-funding-plan

Joe Biden accused rival Elizabeth Warren of miscalculating the taxes she would need to raise for “Medicare for all” and said her newly introduced payment plan broke promises she made to voters not to raise costs on the middle class.

“The mathematical gymnastics in this plan are all geared towards hiding a simple truth from voters: It’s impossible to pay for ‘Medicare for all’ without middle-class tax increases,” said Biden’s campaign spokeswoman, Kate Bedingfield. “To accomplish this sleight of hand, her proposal dramatically understates its cost, overstates its savings, inflates the revenue, and pretends that an employer payroll tax increase is something else.”

The campaign was quick to point out the plan released by Warren Friday includes an estimated cost to the federal government of $20 trillion over a decade, $14 trillion short of the estimate that the left-of-center Urban Institute released in October.