Former 2020 Democratic candidate Andrew Yang commended President Trump for proposing a temporary stopgap measure similar to the “Freedom Dividend” the entrepreneur pushed during his campaign.
“I’m pleased to see the White House adopt our vision of putting money directly into the hands of hard-working Americans. It’s unfortunate to see this development take place under the current circumstance, but that 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,” Yang, who is now a CNN commentator, said in a Tuesday statement.
“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 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
Trump promised a major lift to workers during the coronavirus crisis on Tuesday as officials spelled out plans to send them checks within the next two weeks as part of a huge bailout package.
“Americans need cash now, and the president wants to get cash now — and I mean in the next two weeks,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said during a White House briefing on Tuesday.
The administration is considering sending most adults $1,000 as part of a stimulus package. Such a proposal is similar to one GOP Sens. Mitt Romney and Tom Cotton are pushing that involves sending $1,000 per month to each person until the global health crisis can be resolved.
After the briefing, Mnuchin huddled with Senate Republicans and said the federal government wanted to deliver $250 billion in checks to adults in the United States within “a matter of weeks,” which would be part of a broader $1 trillion White House stimulus plan that would also include small business relief. Mnuchin said the $250 billion for the checks may only be the first installment and could be followed by more money, if it is determined later that it is needed, to address the economic blow caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
This would follow an initial $8.3 billion in aid, signed into law by Trump 10 days ago, which provided money for developing vaccines, tests and treatments, and support for state and local governments to cope with the crisis.
Yang dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary earlier this year but has continued to push lawmakers to turn his campaign’s cornerstone into federal policy. After quitting the 2020 race, Yang started the advocacy group Humanity Forward to lobby for a $1,000-a-month “Freedom Dividend” for every American.
