Former 2020 Democratic candidate Andrew Yang’s push for a universal basic income is gaining ground, he said, as lawmakers look for creative ways to aid people amid a pandemic.
Yang, a former businessman, dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary earlier this year after his long shot candidacy failed to gain the traction it needed against seasoned politicians such as former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. The cornerstone of Yang’s campaign, a $1,000/month “Freedom Dividend” for every American, appears to be picking up some support, at least temporarily.
“We should do this right now to help keep millions of American families above the waterline. Seventy-eight percent of Americans are already living paycheck to paycheck; almost half can’t afford an unexpected $400 bill — and that was before we shut down hundreds of thousands of businesses, not just bars and restaurants and theaters,” Yang told the Atlantic in an interview published Monday.
GOP Sens. Mitt Romney and Tom Cotton have embraced the idea as a way to help those in need during the coronavirus outbreak through the worst of the pandemic. President Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are also considering the idea as a stopgap for those who can no longer work because of emergency government regulations or because they are especially vulnerable to the virus.
[Read more: ‘We’re going big’: Trump plans to send checks to workers to offset economic effects of coronavirus]
While the current version being considered by policymakers is temporary, Yang is still pushing for a permanent universal basic income as the support that the temporary stopgap is getting from lawmakers has him optimistic about the political future of his idea.
“It’s common sense. If you are any American who is exposed to any part of the economy, you see it’s being upended by the coronavirus. And you know there are limited ways that your neighbor or your co-worker or your former co-worker are going to be able to make ends meet —and you know that everything policymakers are talking about will be ineffective except for cash,” Yang said.
“The people know this. Politicians are quickly realizing it,” he added. “And one reason I’m optimistic that it’s going to pass is: What is the political downside to giving everyone cash? I don’t see it. It’s like, you pass it and you look like a hero; you don’t pass it, you’re a moron. Even members of Congress can see that calculation.”
