Andrew Yang, the son of immigrants from Taiwan, is a lawyer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist who founded the nonprofit organization Venture for America (VFA) in 2011. Yang left the organization in 2017 and filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on November 6 to run for president of the United States. Although Yang participated in seven of the first eight Democratic presidential debates, on February 11, 2020, shortly after the New Hampshire primary, he suspended his presidential campaign. A week later he joined CNN as a political commentator.
Yang’s main campaign focus was how the federal government should respond to the increasing automation of the economy. According to Yang2020:
I’m proud of the work I did at VFA. But during my time there, it became clear to me that job creation will not outpace the massive impending job loss due to automation.
So I went to Washington, and I visited Congressional leaders. I presented them with the hard facts. 78% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, 40% cannot afford an unexpected $400 bill, and so many live one medical emergency away from bankruptcy. A wave of automation is coming that will displace even more American jobs. I asked, “What will our government do?”
And here is what he thinks the federal government should do:
As president, my first priority will be to implement the big solutions America needs to get back on track. To start, I’d enact the Freedom Dividend: $1,000 a month, no strings attached, for every American 18 and older, paid for by a new tax on the companies benefiting most from automation.
Republicans baulked at Yang’s idea, just like they have generally run from other universal basic income (UBI) proposals. However, this does not mean that they oppose on principle the government giving Americans cash in their pocket.
The federal government twice under President George W. Bush—with overwhelming Republican support—sent Americans money.
In 2001, as part of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act, the federal government sent a $300 check to single individuals and $600 to married couples.
In 2008, under the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, the federal government sent a $600 check to single individuals and $1,200 to married couples. Taxpayers with children eligible for the Child Tax Credit (CTC) received an additional $300 per dependent child.
And just recently—with practically unanimous Republican support—Congress passed, and President Trump signed into law, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or “CARES Act.” Amid hundreds of pages of pork, it directs the federal government to send checks (or make direct deposits) of $1,200 to single individuals and $2,400 to married couples. Taxpayers with children eligible for the child credit will receive an additional $500 per dependent child.
If Republicans were honest, they would say things like:
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when there is a public health crisis.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when they need it.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when the economy needs a stimulus.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when there is a pandemic.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when unemployment claims drastically increase.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when there is an economic downturn.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except in extenuating circumstances.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when there are severely distressed sectors of the U.S. economy.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when the economy collapses.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when there is a recession.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when many Americans need economic relief.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when there is a financial panic.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when the stock market tanks.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when there is a depression.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when Americans are hurting.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when certain industries need a bailout.
It is wrong for the federal government to give Americans money—except when Republicans vote to do so.
None of these Republican-supported government handouts should be viewed as surprising. Republicans have for decades supported the federal government giving Americans money in the form of welfare. Indeed, we already have a universal basic income in the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) that Republicans wholeheartedly support and increase every year.
Republicans have no philosophical objection to the federal government giving Americans cold hard cash. Don’t be surprised if round two of the CARES Act results in more checks to Americans, amidst all the pork it will contain, courtesy of the Republicans.
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