Part 4/8:
Shifting topics, the conversation moved toward budget cuts and whether the Democratic Party could have done more during its time in power to address issues like fraud and waste in entitlement programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Sanders acknowledged the existence of waste in government, particularly in the defense sector. However, he insisted that Republican proposals to slash programs like Medicaid to fund tax breaks for the wealthiest are fundamentally wrong.
With specific reference to proposed cuts that would deprive needy Americans of critical support, Sanders argued that no one should suffer because of greed. Instead of targeting assistance programs that serve the vulnerable, he called for accountability across all governmental sectors.