Stimulus checks for COVID-19 relief have begun hitting Americans’ bank accounts, but some argue the one-time payments aren’t enough. An overwhelming majority of Americans support monthly cash payments to offset what TIME says could be the “worst economic fallout since the Great Depression.”
“Recent polling indicates that, nationally, 66% of the public prefers receiving recurring payments to one-time payments. This includes a majority of both Democrats (77%) and Republicans (52%),” according to The Appeal.
The support is magnified by the fact that some Americans who need the money the most aren’t even eligible to receive the single payments of $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for married couples.
According to a poll conducted by Data For Progress in collaboration with The Justice Collaborative Institute, most Americans favor the recurring monthly payments until the economy can rebound from the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. It is the case regardless of party affiliation,
The report states: “Nationally, a majority of the public see one-time payments of $2,000 as insufficient: 66% prefers recurring payments of $2,000 until a year after the President declares an end to the federal state of emergency. A majority of Republicans (52%) also agrees with this view.”
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Known as Universal Basic Income (UBI), the concept would provide “an unconditional cash transfer to every person in a country.” The data also shows making direct payments to constituents did not increase unemployment significantly when done in the past.
Quite the opposite, however. After UBI was employed in the past, positive statistics including health, longevity, education, a reduction in crime and substance abuse rose.
House Democrats, including former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, have proposed $2,000 monthly payments to Americans until the economy recovers.
“As millions of Americans file for unemployment week over week, we have to work quickly to patch the dam — and that means putting cash in the hands of hard-working families,” Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan said, when he and Rep. Ro Kanna of California introduced a bill Tuesday to expand stimulus assistance.
“A one-time, $1,200 dollar check isn’t going to cut it,” Khanna added.
For what it’s worth, most Americans agree with them.
