Pushing Universal Basic Income, Andrew Yang Supporters Get #CongressPassUBI Trending
TOPLINE
Following the passage of a $484 billion bill to supplement the CARES Act, which does not include individual stimulus checks, supporters of former presidential candidate Andrew Yang took to Twitter to push for a universal basic income (UBI)—a concept he championed—in the next bill with the hashtag #CongressPassUBI.
KEY FACTS
Yang ran in the 2020 Democratic presidential primary on a platform centered around UBI, amassing a robust cult following online but failing to break through in early primaries.
Commentators note the similarities between Yang’s UBI proposal and the stimulus check program included in the initial CARES Act passed in March.
But some dispute they are the same policy, pointing out that the stimulus check is a one-time payment limited by income bracket, while Yang’s UBI would be a recurring monthly payment to all Americans regardless of income.
Yang’s supporters began tweeting the hashtag #CongressPassUBI at noon on Friday, which was trending with over 46,000 tweets as of 4:00 p.m., with Yang pushing supporters to call their lawmakers as well.
Advocates specifically push for monthly payments of $2,000 for adults and $500 for children, rather than the $1,000 a month Yang proposed in his presidential campaign, which they argue would “soften the economic downturn” and reduce the urge to prematurely end stay-at-home orders.
Some point to a “cash infusion” bill proposed by Reps. Ro Kanna, D-Calif., and Tim Ryan, D-Ohio., as well as a bill to give $3,000 to individuals and $6,000 to families proposed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., as examples of benchmark legislation that could be passed.
KEY BACKGROUND
Scott Santens, a former Yang campaign surrogate and a board member of the UBI-supportive Fund for Humanity, told Forbes that the push was initially planned on May 4. However, he said, “we learned last night that Congress was working on finishing up the next bill by Saturday morning, and the bill as of that time did not include any direct cash payments at all.” So instead, “we quickly advanced the plan to try to change that today.”
UBI has attracted support from a surprising number of prominent figures. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced on April 7 that he would donate a portion of $1 billion to support UBI, which he called “a great idea needing experimentation” and “the best long-term solution to the existential problems facing the world.” Even Pope Francis expressed support for the idea, arguing earlier this month for consideration of a Universal Basic Wage “that would ensure and concretely achieve the ideal, at once so human and so Christian, of no worker without rights.”
BIG NUMBER
9.5%. The Congressional Budget Office’s latest forecast projects that the U.S. unemployment rate could reach 16% later this year and might still be as high as 9.5% by the end of 2021. According to a Pew Research poll, 43% of U.S. adults report a job loss in their households.
TANGENT
Unlike most of his fellow 2020 candidates, Yang’s run has spawned a down ballot movement based on his unique platform focused on UBI, addressing automation and enhanced public election financing. This movement includes more than 20 congressional candidates, dubbed the UBI caucus, mostly challenging fairly safe incumbents.
Yang himself has been speculated as a candidate for a multitude of offices in New York, including Governor and New York City Mayor, but has instead focused his post-2020 career on his CNN commentator gig and his new organization Humanity Forward.
