A REPRESENTATIVE in Congress would like to see all Americans get $1,200 a month of guaranteed income in the future.
Rep Ilhan Omar of Minnesota proposed a bill that would see monthly payments of up to $1,200 for adults and $600 for children go out after studying pilot programs testing out the process across the country, FOX32 reported.
The Sending Unconditional Payments to People Overcoming Resistances to Triumph (SUPPORT) Act would create a guaranteed income program that Rep Omar would eventually like to see benefit all Americans under a certain income level.
“Poverty is a choice. For too long we have prioritized endless growth while millions are homeless, hungry, or without healthcare” she said in a statement regarding the proposal.
An “Office of Guaranteed Income Programs” in the Treasury Department would oversee the payments.
The cash would go to United States residents age 18 and older and to parents of underage dependents.
The process would involve a $2.5 billion grant fund that would initially be used in pilot programs across the US. The programs would be in place for study from 2023 to 2027.
The federal government would then put in place a national guaranteed income program in 2028 following a review of the findings.
But not every American would be guaranteed to see the money.
Single taxpayers would need an adjusted gross income of $75,000 or less in order to receive the $1,200 payments. The threshold would be $150,000 or less for married couples filing jointly.
From there, payments would decrease by $5 per every $100 over those income levels, according to the bill summary.
“The pandemic has laid bare these inequalities,” Rep Omar said.
“We as a nation have the ability to make sure everyone has their basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare met.”
The Minnesota politician also introduced the Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI) Act.
It would offer “an alternative economic measure to the GDP for the federal government to use in all of its budgetary reporting and economic analysis,” FOX32 reported.
Rep Omar’s bills have been co-sponsored by other lawmakers, including progressives like Reps Cori Bush of Missouri, Dwight Evans of Pennsylvania, and Jamaal Bowman of New York.