1/ The insistence by @SpeakerPelosi that payments to Americans during the crisis must b means tested is absurd. Out of work is out of work. Even people w/higher income rarely have several months income saved to pay fixed expenses. Income LAST year won't pay bills thru summer
2/ Our family has solid income, but also has 20k a year in health care premiums, for instance, and bc our income comes from work (not property), going several months w/much lower or no income is not a minor issue. It's not like most can just liquidate assets. What assets?
3/ Payments should be made to all. As a % of income, it will obviously be worth less for upper middle class folk & the affluent, but it still helps & is politically smarter bc it reinforces the notion of ALL being in this together, rather than this being a "handout..."
4/ Means testing reinforces the right wing narrative that public benefits are just for the "weak," and those who are in some sense less deserving bc they were needy to begin with. Universality creates a sense of PUBLIC civic mindedness...Any Dem who doesn't get that is a joke...
