Elizabeth Warren says 'there's always money' when asked how she'll pay for her policies

Sen. and 2020 presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) dismissed the idea that her ability to pay for her policies and initiatives as president would be hindered by a finite amount of funds, according to the Washington Free Beacon.

Warren made the comments during an interview in November with Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association. Garcia had asked Warren about increasing funding for Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act and the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, and how that might be paid for.

"So the answer is yes. And pay for it? This is about our priorities, what matters most to us," Warren answered. "A budget is about priorities. ... The way I see it, there's always, come on, there's always money. It's there. Are we going to spend the money on defense or are we going to spend the money on our children?"

Warren Pressed on Spending Proposals: 'There's Always Money'youtu.be

Warren's approach to financial questions about her ambitious policies has been one of the biggest sources of criticism of her campaign.

She has insisted, for example, that Medicare for All can be implemented without taxes being raised on middle class Americans, partially by reducing the amount of money allocated toward military spending.

Other Democratic primary front-runners such as former Vice President Joe Biden and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg have criticized Warren for not being fully honest about how much her plans cost and how they'll be paid for. Such criticisms have been dismissed by Warren and her allies as "Republican talking points."

Biden was asked last month during a PBS interview about Warren's intention to fund her plans with targeted defense spending cuts, among other measures. Biden said Warren was "making it up."