Universal Basic Income: Ilhan Omar Picks Up Where Andrew Yang Left Off
Progressive also offers Genuine Progress Indicator Act
Andrew Yang — more than anything — will be remembered for introducing Americans to the concept of universal basic income, or UBI.
The idea is that people are provided a regular, guaranteed monetary payment.
In Yang's quixotic run for president, he called his UBI plan the “Freedom Dividend,” which would have been a guaranteed $1,000 monthly to Americans aged 18 and older.
Of course, Yang lost the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination to Joe Biden, and that seemed to be the end of the Freedom Dividend.
Not so fast.
Rep Ilhan Omar (D-Minn) has picked up the UBI concept, and introduced it as legislation called the Sending Unconditional Payments to People Overcoming Resistances to Triumph (SUPPORT) Act.
The second-term progressive is introducing her SUPPORT Act alongside her Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) Act, which together are “designed to build a 21st century economy that is reflective of Americans’ everyday needs,” Omar's office said in a statement.
The bills would create a grant program to fund local income pilots and implement a national guaranteed income program and establish a new economic metric to measure well-being, according to the statement.
The SUPPORT Act would create a guaranteed income program of up to $1,200 per month for adults, and $600 for kids, following pilot programs in localities nationwide.
The GPI Act would provide an alternative economic metric to supplement traditional gross domestic product (GDP) calculations and “revamp our economic policy lenses by including overlooked socioeconomic and environmental costs and benefits of economic productivity,” the statement from Omar's office said.
“Poverty is a choice. For too long we have prioritized endless growth while millions are homeless, hungry or without healthcare” said Rep. Omar. “The pandemic has laid bare these inequalities. We as a nation have the ability to make sure everyone has their basic needs like food, housing and healthcare met. Building off successful pilot programs in my home state of Minnesota, I am proud to introduce a guaranteed income that will put money directly into the pockets of Minnesotans, and introduce a holistic economic measure that will ensure our economy is centered on the long-term prosperity of Minnesotans and Americans everywhere.
“The world needs new economic indicators and economic policies that will prioritize and encourage truly sustainable and equitable growth,” she added. “It’s time we become the leader in measuring and safeguarding our people’s economic well-being, starting with both of these bills.”
The GPI Act is co-sponsored by Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), Cori Bush (D-Mo), Dwight Evans (D-Pa), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash), and Marie Newman (D-Ill).
The SUPPORT Act is co-sponsored by Bowman, Bush, Evans, and Jayapal.
“Poverty is defined by a lack of material resources,” said Darrick Hamilton, Henry Cohen professor of economics and urban policy at the New School. “And we know the way to address poverty is to eliminate it. I am thrilled that Rep. Omar is introducing a bold proposal to fully tackle poverty in this country and ensure that people have their basic material needs met, modeled after proposals like ‘A Guaranteed Income for the 21st Century’ and others.
“This proposal would amount to a $14,400 income guarantee for adults and $7,200 for children, amounting to $43,200 for an average family of four. If we are going to tackle poverty and inequality in this country, we need bold solutions. And Rep. Omar has proposed just that,” Hamilton added.
You can find a detailed one pager on the GPI Act here.
You can find a detailed one pager on the SUPPORT Act here.
You can read the full legislation on the GPI Act here.
You can read the full legislation on the SUPPORT Act here.
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The freedom dividend was not UBI. It was not unconditional to all Americans, you had to choose between it and certain existing programs.