Sanders defends proposed tax increases

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Sunday said tax increases he has proposed as a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination would be a "great investment," after he split with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on asking the middle class to pay more.

In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press," Sanders was asked about Clinton's pledge in a debate Saturday night to not raise taxes on any households that make less than $250,000. Sanders, an independent who represents Vermont in the Senate, declined to promise the same.


"In terms of this issue that you raised, I do disagree with the secretary," Sanders told host Chuck Todd. "I believe the United States should join the rest of the world through paid family and medical leave. It will cost us $1.61 a week and an increase in payroll tax. I think that's a great investment."

Asked whether that was the extent of the tax increases he would impose on the middle class, Sanders said, "Yes, that's right."

According to a transcript of the Sunday interview, Sanders also said he wanted to impose a tax on Wall Street speculation to help pay for college educations, as well as to raise estate taxes for the wealthy.

"Look, we have seen a huge transfer of wealth from the middle class to the top one-tenth of 1 percent," he said. "It is appropriate to ask the wealthy and large corporations to start paying their fair share of taxes."