CNN Calls Out Paul Ryan Challenger for Suggesting Tax Hikes Could Foot $32 Trillion Single-Payer Bill

Wisconsin Democratic congressional candidate Randy Bryce suggested to skeptical CNN hosts on Wednesday that a single-payer health care system costing tens of trillions of dollars could be paid for with tax hikes on the wealthy and corporations.

Bryce, who wants to challenge House Speaker Paul Ryan in Wisconsin's first district, is a supporter of the single-payer system that has also been endorsed by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.). CNN host John Berman noted Bryce wanted to go further left than Obamacare, which is not a universal health care system.

"There's analysis from a group called the Urban Institute, which we haven't been able to double-check, but it says—Bernie Sanders, you look at his plan for universal coverage that he ran on during the primary, it could cost $32 trillion over 10 years," Berman said. "Even if it's half that, that's a ton of money. How do you propose paying for it?"

"Well, there's a lot of people that are getting away with not paying their fair share in taxes right now," he said.

"You want to raise $32 trillion in taxes?" Berman asked.

"Well, I'm not saying that—we have to look at ways to just increase complete costs," Bryce said. "There's a lot of things that we can look at as far as making things cost-effective, but again, there's a lot of people that are not paying what their fair share of taxes, there's corporations getting away with a lot."

"That would be quite a tax hike," said CNN host Poppy Harlow. "I mean, that's an astonishing number, $32 trillion over a decade."

Bryce came to national attention after he released his video announcing his congressional bid against Ryan. An iron worker with no experience in elected office, Bryce suggested to Ryan that they trade places.