Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who made universal basic income a central tenet of his campaign, has been in touch with the White House as the idea of getting money to Americans quickly to offset the economic effects of the Wuhan coronavirus is being considered.
“I’m pleased to see the White House adopt our vision of putting money directly into the hands of hard-working Americans,” Yang said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate to see this development take place under the current circumstances, but this is exactly what Universal Basic Income is designed to do — offer a way to ensure that Americans can make ends meet when they need it most.”
The proposal being considered by White House officials is not the same as Yang’s, however, which would’ve given money to all American adults regardless of economic need.
On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin said the federal government was looking into “sending checks to Americans immediately” as part of a $1-trillion stimulus proposal from the Trump administration to combat the negative impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the economy.
Soon after the proposal’s details became public, Yang tweeted, “My phone is blowing up.”
Mnuchin said details would be announced soon about the timing and size of the checks. He suggested the amounts would be larger than the $1,000 payments proposed recently. There’s no indication that the checks would be more than a one-time payment, not resembling Yang’s plan for a monthly income. (LA Times)
“I look forward to monitoring the developments of the White House as they consider methods of distribution, and both me and my team are eager to offer our support to ensure this process runs as smoothly as possible,” Yang said in a statement.
“My hope is that these checks extend beyond this period of dire need in order to prepare us for any future crises and the continued transformation of our economy and our society,” he added.
My statement on the discussed stimulus package. My team has been in touch with the White House and we are offering resources. pic.twitter.com/Bi58oq7Q9V
— Andrew Yang?? (@AndrewYang) March 17, 2020