Former MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan on Wednesday said that universal basic income (UBI) – an idea popularized by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang – could keep the country’s economy afloat long enough to weather fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“UBI is the equivalent of a ventilator for the economy, which is why you’re seeing every other country do it. America is the only country that hasn’t done it,” Ratigan told Hill.TV.
Congress’s $2 trillion-plus stimulus package included a one-time check of $1,200 to Americans adults who qualified, though Democratic lawmakers argue that the most recent relief bill isn’t enough.
A spokesperson for Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Wednesday that the lawmaker and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin are inching closer to a deal on a deal to provide additional funding to small businesses and tens of billions of dollars in federal aid to hospitals and state budgets.
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