KEY POINTS
- The recurring checks would also be sent to undocumented immigrants filing taxes
- The SUPPORT Act will conduct pilot programs between 2023 to 2027
- Guaranteed income programs are said to have shown success in several countries
Millions of Americans may receive monthly stimulus checks worth $1,200 by 2028 after Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., proposed two income bills Friday.
Rep. Omar and other progressive Democratic lawmakers introduced the SUPPORT Act which would allocate $2.5 billion to fund local guaranteed income pilot programs across the country. Findings from the pilot programs, which would be conducted between 2023 and 2027, will go toward the formation of a national program in 2028.
Under the new national program, American individuals making less than $75,000 a year or households earning less than $112,500 per year would receive $1,200 monthly payments from the government. Children from eligible families would also be given $600 recurring checks.
The checks would also be sent to Americans without banking accounts, undocumented immigrants who file taxes with an ITIN number, and people experiencing housing instability.
“Poverty is a choice. It’s time we prioritize new economic indicators and economic policies that will prioritize sustainable and equitable growth,” Rep. Omar wrote in a statement.
The SUPPORT Act, which stands for Sending Unconditional Payments to People Overcoming Resistances to Triumph, was endorsed by fellow progressives, including Reps. Dwight Evans of Pennsylvania, Marie Newman of Illinois, Jamaal Bowman of New York, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, and Cori Bush of Missouri, according to Fox News.
The guaranteed income program has been shown to improve economic outcomes for low-income people. According to Huffington Post, the model has been implemented in Kenya and India, where recipients reported improved nutrition.
In Finland, the government gave residents $640 monthly checks as part of their universal basic income program. Preliminary results showed an improvement in the overall health and well-being of recipients, the report said.
In the United States, 125 residents in Stockton, California, were given $500 in cash each month for a year as part of the area’s pilot guaranteed income project. The monthly financial support was shown to significantly improve the mental health of recipients. Project participants also had better job prospects.
In Mississippi, Magnolia Mother’s Trust sent at least 100 Black moms $1,000 monthly checks for a year. While the full analysis of the program’s effects is not yet available, preliminary results showed that 40% of recipients were less likely to report debt. The program also lowered the participants’ food insecurity and struggles with basic needs, as reported by MS Magazine.
Economic stimulus checks are prepared for printing at the Philadelphia Financial Center May 8, 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One hundred and thirty million households are eligible to receive a tax rebate check under the $168 billion economic stimulus plan. Photo: Jeff Fusco/Getty Images
