As Americans continue working to adjust to the spread of the coronavirus, lawmakers are proposing a new solution. How does a $1,000 dollar check sound?
Former presidential hopeful Andrew Yang is joining Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) in supporting sending Americans money for financial assistance during the outbreak.
Romney announced that he is supporting the proposal as the economy takes a hit while Americans are unable to go to work.
He told a reporter on Monday, “Every American adult should immediately receive $1,000 to help ensure families and workers can meet their short-term obligations and increase spending in the economy,” as IJR previously reported.
According to White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow, if Congress passes a payroll tax holiday, $800 billion could be added to the United States economy to mitigate the economic damage caused by the virus, as IJR previously reported.
Yang has centered his campaign around the idea of universal basic income, as well as a universal health care system.
In an interview with The Atlantic, Yang responded to a question asking if the sending of this money should be a onetime thing or if it needs to be continuous.
“So it should be $1,000 a month until this crisis is over,” he said, adding, “And obviously anyone who knows anything about me knows I think it should then just continue in perpetuity.”
“The CDC just announced that they’re advising against gatherings of 50-plus [people] for eight weeks. So we should be looking at a minimum of two months at $1,000 per person. But we don’t know if the world’s going to reopen in eight weeks. It’s unclear what data we would have that would enable the CDC or other policy makers to give us the all clear.”
Yang also called on former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to join the initiative.
He tweeted, “Joe and Bernie please come out for cash relief for the people immediately. Don’t let this pass without you calling for it.”
Joe and Bernie please come out for cash relief for the people immediately. Don’t let this pass without you calling for it. #moneyforthepeople.
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) March 16, 2020
The interview pivoted to the reporter asking Yang if this is something he thinks will pass in Congress.
“I’m increasingly optimistic that common sense will prevail and Congress will pass this before too many lives fall apart,” Yang said.
Reports have confirmed a total of 85 deaths in the United States, as well as at least 4,660 cases, as of Tuesday morning.