Rep. Pete Stauber Introduces Legislation to Block Federal Coronavirus Funds for Basic Income Programs

Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) is introducing legislation designed to block states and localities from using federal coronavirus relief funds for basic income programs, which disincentives work, he announced on Wednesday.

The bill, the Stop Disincentivizing Work Act, specifically prohibits certain federal funding from being used for “certain cash assistance programs” — namely, basic income programs such as the pilot program recently introduced in Minneapolis. Specifically, funding authorized by The Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, The CARES Act, The Consolidated Appropriations Act, and The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 would be prohibited from being used for such programs, guaranteeing basic income.

“I have heard firsthand accounts from countless small businesses owners who are struggling to find workers to fill their job openings. This massive labor shortage was a preventable problem caused by policies that disincentivized work,” Stauber said in a statement.

“Federal dollars cannot be going towards programs that will only exacerbate this problem. It is far past time we fully reopen our economy and get people back to work. I will not sit by as Democrats across the nation continue to pay able-bodied people with our taxpayer dollars not to work,” he added as Minnesota Reps. Jim Hagedorn, Tom Emmer, and Michelle Fischbach joined him in introducing the measure.

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The measure follows plans of a basic income pilot program in Minneapolis, which according to Axios “received more than 8,000 eligible applications for 200 spots in its guaranteed basic income pilot program.” According to the outlet, the families participating in the program will receive $500 every month for two years.

“Because the pilot is funded with $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act money, participants must have been adversely impacted by COVID-19,” the outlet reported.

Rep. Fischbach ripped the city for its plans to use the funds to provide what she described as an “unconditional taxpayer funded paycheck to a small number of people.”

U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) joins fellow House Republicans while introducing their proposed legislative agenda, called the “Commitment to America,” on the East Steps of the House of Representatives September 15, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“Meanwhile they have openly stated that they plan to track the group that receives these funds and compare them against struggling low-income individuals who will not receive assistance,” she continued, concluding that “this is not Covid relief.”

“This is a cruel social experiment and working Americans should not have their taxes spent on this socialist experiment,” she said.

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