Mayors coalition decries Trump federal aid cuts amid policy changes

The coalition of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income denounced the dismantling of federal aid programs in a press release released Tuesday.

“As major federal aid programs are being dismantled, state leaders are stepping up to the plate and strengthening economic stability for residents,” said Michael D. Tubbs, founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income.

President Donald Trump has cut federal programs and is seeking to dismantle the Department of Education. The Trump administration froze more than $10 billion in federal funding for child care and social services in five Democratic-led states over concerns that taxpayer dollars were being inappropriately diverted to noncitizens, according to a report released in January.

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Guaranteed basic income programs have become a trend in the United States in recent years, with more than 100 pilots launched since 2018. (Ozan Kose/AFP via Getty Images)

The organization said state leaders are helping Americans who are struggling to “make ends meet” as the “affordability crisis” continues. The mayors said state leaders are “building economic stability for residents” through guaranteed income programs.

“With data from nearly 30 city and county pilot projects, we have evidence that guaranteed income policies help struggling families meet their basic needs, build savings for emergencies, seek better employment and reduce stress,” Tubbs said in the release. He added: “As the affordability crisis continues to put pressure on household finances, this is a solution that lifts families up. »

Guaranteed basic income programs have become a trend in the United States in recent years, with more than 100 pilots launched since 2018. Mayors for a Guaranteed Income has grown into a coalition of 150 mayors promoting pilot programs, offering low-income participants up to $1,000 per month with no strings attached. The group pushed pilot programs that were adopted by municipalities across the country.

More particularly, Cook County, Illinois, the second-largest county in the United States, established a permanent guaranteed basic income program after the success of a previous pilot. The program launched in 2022 with help from federal COVID-19 relief funds.

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Cook County, Illinois, just approved a universal basic income for residents. (Fox News)

“Guaranteed income policies, which provide recurring, unconditional cash payments to people in need, have been tested at the local level in hundreds of cities and counties across the country,” Mayors for Guaranteed Income said in the new release.

The group further explained that, based on the evidence, its counterpart, Legislators for a Guaranteed Income, reported that more than 20 bills in 11 states were proposed to establish some form of a statewide guaranteed income program.

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More than 60 bills that would implement cash-based policies similar to guaranteed income have been launched in 15 other states.

“As major federal aid programs are being dismantled, state leaders are stepping up to the plate and strengthening economic stability for residents,” said Michael D. Tubbs, founder of Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. (Fox News Digital)

Tubbs also founded Counties for Guaranteed Income and Legislators for Guaranteed Income. He served as mayor of Stockton, California from 2017 to 2021.

“With data from nearly 30 city and county pilot projects, we have evidence that guaranteed income policies help struggling families meet their basic needs, build savings for emergencies, seek better employment and reduce stress,” Tubbs said in the release. He added: “As the affordability crisis continues to put pressure on household finances, this is a solution that lifts families up. »

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