Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang will pay a second voter $1,000 a month as a test run of his universal basic income policy platform, his campaign announced.
Yang, a New York businessman and long-shot candidate for the Democratic nomination, will personally fund the monthly stipend, or “Freedom Dividend,” for 41-year-old Kyle Christensen of Iowa Falls, Iowa, according to a news release from Yang’s campaign Tuesday.
Yang has argued that a universal basic income for all Americans over the age of 18, a focal point of his campaign platform, would play a key role in restructuring the modern economy to make it more equitable.
“We have plenty of resources in this country, but the benefits of living in the wealthiest and most advanced nation in the history of Earth are not being shared with most Americans,” Yang said in the release. “We must build a new economy that puts people first. If there’s one policy that would transform American lives for the better on day one, it’s the Freedom Dividend.”
Christensen was shocked to receive the stipend, which will start on July 1 and last for a year, according to the release. He lives with and cares for his sick 62-year-old mother, Pam, and often worries about losing their house and paying his student debt, the Yang campaign said.
“This UBI trial will allow us both to feel some major stress relief,” Christensen said in a statement. “Everyone has a story on how they could use an extra $1000 a month… and this is ours.”
Yang in January introduced and funded his first Freedom Dividend recipient, a voter from New Hampshire, according to his campaign.
CNN’s Dan Merica contributed to this report.