Bernie Sanders in CNN "State of the Union" interviews during 2017

On Corporations: Only the top 2/10 of 1% pay the estate tax

CRUZ: Among many things.

SANDERS: Among many other breaks to billionaires.

CRUZ: I don't want to bankrupt small business owners.

SANDERS: The only people who pay the estate tax are the top two- tenths of 1 percent. It would cost us over $200 billion. And as Ted said, it goes on and on and on.

On Health Care: ObamaCare requires insurers to cover you, even at a loss

CRUZ: Bernie and the Democrats want government to control health care. I trust you. And I trust your doctors. I think health care works better when you're in charge of your family's health care decisions.

SANDERS: The Republicans are now in a panic, because the American people have caught on that the absolute repeal of ObamaCare without a plan to make it better, would be an absolute disaster. So when Ted talks about giving people choice, here's your choice. You got cancer, and you go to the doctor, and the insurance company says, "We're not going to cover it. We can't make money on you because you have cancer. You have a pre-existing condition." And here's another choice you can have if we get rid of ObamaCare. If you have diabetes, and you're spending a whole lot, the insurance companies will say, "sorry, we're only going to spend X dollars, because we've got to make money off you." That's the function of private insurance.

On Health Care: Medicare should negotiate prices with pharma industry

SANDERS: I'm willing to look at it, if you are willing to look at taking on pharma, which is the greediest of many greedy corporate interests. I'm introducing legislation to have Medicare negotiate prices with the pharmaceutical industry. I'm going to introduce legislation to allow Americans to buy less expensive medicine in Canada, the U.K., and other countries. Let's take on the greed of pharma, substantially lower prescription drug prices.

CRUZ: I voted with you in support of allowing drug re-importation. But a much bigger barrier is that, in the last 20 years, the FDA has approved only 3 child cancer drugs, because the burdens are so great.

SANDERS: That is not the major problem. The major problem with the pharmaceutical industry is they could double or triple the prices you pay for medicine tomorrow.

On Tax Reform: Raise funds in a progressive way, for ObamaCare & everything

SANDERS: No. It's not. But on the other hand, is it fair to not raise the revenue that we need to provide the kinds of benefits that we are providing? That is a way to do it. I don't think it's a particularly good way. I disagree with Ted, who wants to give, according to the "Wall Street Journal" and many other publications, incredible tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires. In the wealthiest country in the world, we should raise funds in a progressive way, where the very rich are now doing phenomenally well--yes, I do believe they should be asked to pay more in taxes and I think we should use that money and other mechanisms to provide health care to all people.