Former Democratic presidential candidates Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and tech CEO Andrew Yang continued their support for a monthly $2,000 stimulus check during a virtual town hall hosted by The Appeal.
Stimulus checks and regular payment plans have been written in both Harris and Yang’s political platforms. Yang famously ran his presidential campaign on universal basic income, which would provide $1,000 per month to every citizen over 18.
The basic income would have been funded through value-added tax, economic growth and taxes.
“We’re facing a new Great Depression, but there are legislators that have bills on the table that, if enough Americans get behind [them], we can pass today,” Yang said, Inquisitr reported.
Harris has recently introduced legislation that would provide up to $2,000 to each individual. Harris, alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) announced the Monthly Economic Crisis Support Act. It would provide $2,000 a month with an income cap, expanding access to any U.S. resident regardless of tax status and is retroactive to March 2020, according to Forbes.
“The government should be here for the people in a moment of crisis,” Harris, a potential running mate for Joe Biden, said. “People should be able to count on their government to see them and to create a safety net for them, so that these people don’t fall into poverty—or further into poverty—during the course of this pandemic.”
The bill, backed by prominent Democratic Senators, may be getting traction in Washington, given the great economic need and an impending recession that economists warned can be devastating.
However, the possibility of the legislation being passed is debated, according to Forbes. Senate Republicans have been opposed to a monthly payment plan, and some Democrats may be adjusting their approach to authorizing unemployment benefits and other programs that would provide relief to the most economically impacted.
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