Andrew Yang renews calls for UBI after latest stimulus package fails to provide direct payments

By Arianne Cohen

Former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and his supporters see a pivotal failing with the $484 billion stimulus bill supplement signed today by President Trump. The plan contains no stimulus for the people. He is lobbying for $2,000 monthly stimulus checks to be sent directly to American adults, plus $500 per child, until the end of the COVID-19 crisis, and he’s encouraging his 1.4 million Twitter followers to call their congressional representatives.

“We need our government to do what it’s supposed to do, and that’s look out for us, the people of this country,” he says in a video.

Universal basic income was the centerpiece of Yang’s presidential platform. Last year, he proposed $1,000-per-month checks, regardless of income. The idea has gained mainstream traction—particularly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic—including with high-profile supporters such as Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who is donating $1 billion in shares of Square, worth 28% of his income, to his own charitable organization. Post-pandemic, the organization will focus on UBI and girls’ education and health. The movement’s hashtag, #CongressPassUBI, was trending on Twitter earlier today.

 

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