Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders in an interview broadcast Sunday rejected a proposed soda tax to pay for pre-kindergarten programs in Philadelphia, an initiative backed by rival Hillary Clinton.

{mosads}“It is a totally regressive tax, and right now, at a time of massive income and wealth inequality, when the wealthy are getting wealthier — many of them pay an effective tax rate lower than working people,” Sanders said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“You have large multinational corporations not paying a nickel in federal taxes. That’s where you get the money. Somebody’s making $20,000 a year and they buy a bottle of soda, I don’t think you charge them $0.30 more for that bottle of soda.”

Sanders said he “absolutely” agrees with the goal of universal childcare.

“But raise the money in a way that is progressive, not on the backs of low-income or working people,” he added.

Clinton said last week at a forum in Philadelphia that she is “very supportive” of the proposal to tax soda.

“I mean, we need universal preschool. And if that’s a way to do it, that’s how we should do it.”