Yang wants to give Americans a universal basic income of $1,000 a month to address economic inequality. The son of immigrants from Taiwan briefly worked as a lawyer before entering the world of startups.

B.A., Brown University, 1996; Columbia University School of Law, J.D., 1999

January 13, 1975

Evelyn Yang

Protestant

2 sons

Founder, Venture for America, 2011-2017;
Managing director, then CEO, of Manhattan Prep, 2006-2011;
Vice president of a health care startup, 2002-2005

YANG IN THE NEWS

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STANCES ON THE ISSUES

climate crisis

Yang supports the vision outlined in the Green New Deal, the broad plan to address renewable-energy infrastructure and climate change proposed by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, though he’s expressed skepticism about how quickly its goals could be achieved. He released a plan in August 2019 calling on the US to be a global leader on an issue that is “destabilizing the world.” His plan calls for the US to “move our people to higher ground” while investing in research on removing carbon from the atmosphere and expanding the sustainable energy sector. Yang also proposes passing a constitutional amendment “that creates a duty on the federal and state governments to be stewards for the environment.” He has said he would ensure the US participates in the Paris climate agreement – a landmark 2015 deal on global warming targets that Trump has pledged to abandon – but argues that the agreement should do more to curb climate change. More on Yang’s climate crisis policy

economy

Yang’s central focus has been his push for a universal basic income, which he has dubbed “the Freedom Dividend.” His plan would provide $1,000 a month for American citizens 18 and older, to be paid for by a value-added tax – which is harder for companies or individuals to avoid than traditional corporate and income taxes, Yang argues. He has also promised new government positions and agencies – including a Department of Technology based in Silicon Valley – to address industrial automation and the spread of artificial intelligence. “The goal should not be to save jobs,” he told CNN in April 2019. “The goal should be to make our lives better.” More on Yang’s economic policy

education

Yang opposes making four-year colleges tuition-free, a step he argues would benefit too few people. Instead, he proposes investing in vocational training, including by making community colleges free or nearly free. To reduce student debt, Yang says, he would immediately lower interest rates on government-backed loans. He would also support various debt forgiveness measures, and backs closing colleges with low employment rates for graduates and “high loan default rates,” according to his campaign’s website. More on Yang’s education policy

gun violence

Yang would work to establish a three-tiered, federally mandated gun licensing system. Each tier would expand the type of firearms an individual would be able to purchase or own. He would also create a voluntary gun buyback program, increase funding for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and US Department of Veterans Affairs suicide prevention efforts and invest in “a more robust mental health infrastructure,” according to his campaign website. More on Yang’s gun violence policy

healthcare

Yang advocates universal, government-backed health care, though he wouldn’t outlaw private insurance. He also favors having the government set prices for medical services. He supports lowering drug prices by allowing Medicare to negotiate with drug companies, as well as by having the government manufacture generic drugs. More on Yang’s health care policy

immigration

Yang wants to expand visa programs to attract skilled workers and retain graduates of US colleges, including granting automatic green cards to all students who earn graduate degrees from US universities. He supports a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, particularly young adults brought to the US as children, as part of a comprehensive immigration overhaul. He would also create a new category with an 18-year path to citizenship for those who have paid taxes and not been convicted of any felonies. More on Yang’s immigration policy

LATEST POLITICAL NEWS

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