Rep. Ilhan Omar (D.-Minn.) wants the government to provide people in the United States with what she calls “a universal basic income” or a “guaranteed income.”
Back on April 26, Omar sent out a tweet that said: “It’s time for a universal basic income.”
On Tuesday, a week after she was reelected to the House, Omar held an online "Economic Justice Townhall" with Mayor Melvin Carter of St. Paul, Minn., and Mayor Michael Tubbs of Stockton, Calif.
Carter and Tubbs, as Omar noted, are both members of “Mayors for a Guaranteed Income.”
On that groups website, it says: “Mayors for a Guaranteed Income is a network of mayors advocating for a guaranteed income to ensure that all Americans have an income floor.”
“A guaranteed income,” says the site, “is a monthly, cash payment given directly to individuals. It is unconditional, with no strings attached and no work requirements. A guaranteed income is meant to supplement, rather than replace, the existing social safety net and can be a tool for racial and gender equity.”
As introduced by Omar, her online video discussion with Carter and Tubbs focused on promoting a government guaranteed income.
“Good evening everyone, welcome, welcome,” said Omar. “So, tonight we are here to talk about economic justice and moving toward a guaranteed income.”
“What is a guaranteed income?” she said. “Just like Social Security it provides a regular check to every American so they can buy the things they need like housing, food and other essentials. In recent years, guaranteed income has gained traction as a policy antidote to poverty and rising wealth and income inequality.”
Here is a transcript of Omar’s introduction to her discussion with Mayor Carter and Mayor Tubbs about a guaranteed income:
“Good evening everyone, welcome, welcome. So, tonight we are here to talk about economic justice and moving toward a guaranteed income.
I will be joined by two special guests: St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Mayor Michael Tubbs of Stockton, Calif. Mayor Carter and Mayor Tubbs are both part of the mayors’ for guaranteed income coalition.
“What is a guaranteed income? Just like Social Security it provides a regular check to every American so they can buy the things they need like housing, food and other essentials. In recent years, guaranteed income has gained traction as a policy antidote to poverty and rising wealth and income inequality.
“But the idea isn’t new. The concept of a guaranteed income has deep roots in the Civil Rights Movement with Martin Luther King and others. I have sponsored a bill to guarantee income when the pandemic hit. We’ve also co-sponsored the automatic boost to communities, ABC Act, with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib and Premilla Jayapal.
“The legislation would immediately provide a $2,000 payment, using boost debit cards to every person in America as a critical relief during COVID-19 crisis, followed by a thousand reoccurring monthly payments for one year after the end of the crisis to help our community and families recover. In addition, I’ve sponsored a federal grant program to support localities pursuing basic income pilot, like the ones we will hear about tonight, in order to establish a national commission to study and centralized data collection and analysis of guaranteed income for institutionalized learning.”