Former presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said the U.S. is not a compassionate society while pressing President-elect Trump's pick to be the nation's top health official.

"No, we are not a compassionate society in terms of our relationship to poor and working people," Sanders said during the confirmation hearing of Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., Trump's nominee to be the health and human services secretary.

Sanders was questioning whether Price believed that healthcare was a right.

Price said the U.S. is a compassionate society when Sanders interrupted him to say that it is not when it comes to helping the poor.

Price hedged on Sanders' question on whether healthcare was a right, saying that everyone should have access to healthcare.

Sanders responded that access doesn't mean people can afford it.

"I have access to buying a $10 milion home, but I don't have the money to do that," he said.