El-Sayed voters call guaranteed income programs a good idea after the progressive signaled his support
DETROIT – Supporters of Michigan Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed voiced support for guaranteed income, a social safety net concept gaining traction in municipalities across the nation.
"I think it's a good idea," one rallygoer told Fox News Digital. "With the prices rising and programs being cut like they are and trying to get access to them. Yeah, I think it's a good idea. I hope he supports them."
Fox News Digital spoke with voters outside Cass Technical High School in Detroit, where El-Sayed hosted a campaign rally featuring former President Barack Obama. The event marked a key moment in the progressive candidate’s effort to strengthen ties with the Democratic establishment as he seeks to succeed retiring Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich.
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Rallygoers leaving the overflow venue were asked whether guaranteed income programs are an effective policy and whether El-Sayed should make them a core pillar of his campaign.
"I do, and I think the billionaires should be paying for it," voter Dave told Fox News Digital.
Kiana Montgomery, a publicist, also voiced support for the concept — provided strict parameters are attached.
"I do [support it]. I think there should be parameters — exactly what people can spend it on to ensure everybody's trying to uplift the community as a whole," Montgomery said. "A rising tide lifts all ships, and if people are in need, we should definitely support them."
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El-Sayed has previously signaled support for direct-cash poverty interventions, including during an appearance at the "Guaranteed Income Now" summit in Detroit. However, his campaign platform focuses primarily on universal healthcare through Medicare for all, raising the minimum wage and expanding existing federal safety net programs.
"How do we address poverty at that transition between generations in a family? We’ve got too many parents trying to do the impossible: to go to school, to raise kids, and to earn a living all at the same time," El-Sayed said at the summit.
"So what we’ll be proposing ... in Wayne County is a pilot to invest $500 a month in young parents who are enrolled in community college," he added. "As you try to do the impossible, we can give you a leg up — one less shift of work a week to try and be that student you want to be and that parent that you need to be for your kids."
The summit was hosted by the Economic Security Project (ESP), an advocacy group founded in 2016 by entrepreneurs, activists and researchers that has helped launch more than 100 guaranteed income pilots nationwide. Guaranteed income initiatives are typically structured as temporary, no-strings-attached pilot programs designed to measure the economic and health impacts of direct cash support.
