A growing number of Senate Democrats say Sen. Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth WarrenOvernight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon's use of COVID-19 funds On The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump's 0 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package Warren, Khanna request IG investigation into Pentagon's use of coronavirus funds MORE (D-Mass.) should be more explicit about how she plans to pay for her “Medicare for All” plan.

They say the transparency will be rewarded, and that Warren is taking a risk by not being more open about the costs of Medicare for All.

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“There are pluses and minuses to Medicare for All. You have to be direct about the fact that there are certain consequences of it that will affect people differently. The more you can be transparent about it, I think it’s important,” said Sen. Ben Cardin Benjamin (Ben) Louis CardinPelosi hopeful COVID-19 relief talks resume 'soon' Congress must finish work on popular conservation bill before time runs out PPP application window closes after coronavirus talks deadlock MORE (D-Md.), who has not endorsed a candidate for president.

Cardin acknowledged that “taxes are sort of a toxic word” but argued that Warren and other candidates who back Medicare for All would be doing themselves a favor by leveling with voters.

“I think you have to be transparent. I think the more you try to be cute, the more it hurts you with voters,” he said, noting that Warren’s rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersSirota reacts to report of harassment, doxing by Harris supporters Republicans not immune to the malady that hobbled Democrats The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Republicans lawmakers rebuke Trump on election MORE (I-Vt.), who admits that taxes on the middle class will go up, “is much more direct on this.”

Warren’s support for Medicare for All is popular among liberal voters in the Democratic base but there’s deep skepticism among many Senate Democrats for the plan because of its cost, and because it would jeopardize the nation’s longstanding system of employer-provided health care.

Warren’s presidential rivals see the potential tax hit on middle-class voters as a vulnerability they can exploit to derail her march to the nomination.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar Amy Klobuchar3 reasons why Biden is misreading the politics of court packing Social media platforms put muscle into National Voter Registration Day Battle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight MORE (D-Minn.) and South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegBillionaire who donated to Trump in 2016 donates to Biden The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - GOP closes ranks to fill SCOTUS vacancy by November Buttigieg stands in as Pence for Harris's debate practice MORE, who centrists hope to gain steam in the contest, both went after Warren aggressively on the issue on Tuesday.

Sen. Michael Bennet Michael Farrand BennetOVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats tee up vote on climate-focused energy bill next week | EPA reappoints controversial leader to air quality advisory committee | Coronavirus creates delay in Pentagon research for alternative to 'forever chemicals' Senate Democrats demand White House fire controversial head of public lands agency Next crisis, keep people working and give them raises MORE (D-Colo.), who is also running for president, expressed exasperation Thursday with Warren’s lack of detail.

“This is her most important plan, this is her most significant plan and she’s running on Medicare for All and she will not tell the American people how she’ll pay for it,” he said.

Warren was careful at Tuesday’s debate to emphasize her guarantee that total costs for families would go down under her plan. She also promised that wealthy individuals and corporations would carry much of the burden instead.

“Costs will go up for the wealthy, for corporations,” she said Tuesday. “But for middle-class families, it will go down.

Warren stuck to that description when asked Thursday about pressure from fellow Democratic senators to be more explicit in explaining how she’ll pay for Medicare for All.

“I’ve made my principles on this clear. I will not sign a bill into law that does not reduce costs for hardworking middle-class families,” she said. “I meet families every time I do a town hall who talk to me about how health care is crushing them financially, even though they have health insurance.”

Asked about criticism that she dodged admitting at the debate that taxes would go up for the middle class, Warren said: “What I explicitly said is exactly what I wanted to say. And that is I will not raise costs for hardworking middle-class families.”

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The attacks on Warren at Tuesday night’s debate highlighted how she increasingly is seen as the front-runner in the race. She has surpassed former Vice President Joe Biden Joe BidenFormer Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump's No. 1 Supreme Court pick Bloomberg rolls out M ad buy to boost Biden in Florida MORE in recent polls in Iowa and New Hampshire, and is among the Democratic leaders in fundraising.

Senate Democrats who back Biden are among those ramping up pressure on Warren over Medicare for all. They contrast Warren’s statements about her plan with Sanders, who backs Medicare for All and says it will require tax hikes.

“Sen. Sanders has said it will reduce overall costs for beneficiaries but to pay for it will require raising taxes on virtually everyone,” sad Sen. Chris Coons Christopher (Chris) Andrew CoonsTrump's push for win with Sudan amps up pressure on Congress Murkowski: Supreme Court nominee should not be taken up before election Battle lines drawn on precedent in Supreme Court fight MORE (D-Dela.), who has endorsed Biden.

“I respect the transparency that Sen. Sanders is bringing to this.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein Dianne Emiel FeinsteinTrump plans to pick Amy Coney Barrett to replace Ginsburg on court Trump faces tricky choice on Supreme Court pick The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Trump previews SCOTUS nominee as 'totally brilliant' MORE (D-Calif.), who has also endorsed Biden, said “any big health plan is obviously costly and how you pay for it is important and people should know.”

“My own view is that people who can pay for it, should pay for it but if you can’t, you ought to have the government’s help,” she said.

Other Democrats who are concerned about the potential cost of Medicare for All are leery to direct any criticism at Warren.

“I’m not going to comment on any specific candidate’s current proposals,” said Sen. Mark Warner Mark Robert WarnerFBI director casts doubt on concerns over mail-in voting fraud Democrats call for declassifying election threats after briefing by Trump officials It's time to upgrade benefits MORE (D-Va.), another member of the Finance Committee. But he did warn that candidates should be mindful of how their plans could grow federal deficits.

“I know there are some theories out there that say that debt and deficit don’t matter anymore, deficits can never cause problems. I don’t think the basic rules of economics have been reversed,” he said. “We have, thank goodness, not paid the price yet of our close to $24 trillion in debt because we’ve had remarkably low interest rates for a long time but I would hate to bet the future of our country on that continuing.

“I don’t find anything progressive about saddling our kids and our grandkids with a balance sheet that is so far in the red that they’ll never be able to dig their way out,” he said.

Cardin, who like the majority of the Senate Democratic caucus does not support Medicare for All, said the plan would require raising taxes substantially because private employers would no longer foot the bill for insuring the majority of the American public.

“What you’re doing is you’re transferring … the responsibility of payment from the private sector, which is employer, employee and individual, to more on the governmental sector. So there are savings on the private sector, there are costs on the government sector. That means there’s going to be need for greater revenue in the public sector,” he said.

Other Democratic senators also argued for transparency.

“I think everyone who’s running for president should talk about their plan, how they plan to implement it and how to plan to pay for it,” said Sen. Jacky Rosen Jacklyn (Jacky) Sheryl RosenHillicon Valley: Productivity, fatigue, cybersecurity emerge as top concerns amid pandemic | Facebook critics launch alternative oversight board | Google to temporarily bar election ads after polls close Lawmakers introduce legislation to boost cybersecurity of local governments, small businesses Senators introduce bipartisan bill to help women, minorities get STEM jobs MORE (D-Nev.) when asked if she agreed with fellow Democrats who say Warren should provide more detail.

Rosen said Republicans should also be pressed to the fiscal effects of their proposals such as the 2017 tax cut and “what that had on our economy, what it has on our health benefits.”