Nevada’s Future at a Crossroads: Why I’m Fighting for an AI Moratorium and a Universal Basic Income
Dear friends and neighbors,
As your independent Democratic candidate for Nevada’s Second Congressional District, I am running on a platform of bold action, honesty, and putting people first. In the past week, a critical debate has erupted on Capitol Hill, led by progressive leaders like Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who introduced a proposal for a national moratorium on artificial intelligence (AI) development. This proposal is not just timely—it’s essential for safeguarding our jobs, our communities, and our democracy.
What’s in the Sanders & Ocasio-Cortez AI Moratorium?
The Sanders/Ocasio-Cortez proposal, "Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act" (S.4214), announced just five days ago, calls for an immediate halt on the development and deployment of advanced artificial intelligence systems across the United States. Their moratorium is driven by deep concerns over the unchecked rise of AI and its impact on everyday Americans. The core points of their proposal are:
A Nationwide Pause: A binding, federal moratorium on releasing, deploying, or expanding AI systems with potentially high social or economic impact—specifically those that could replace or displace human workers, endanger privacy, or influence critical infrastructure.
Comprehensive Impact Assessment: During the moratorium, independent commissions would be formed to study the societal, economic, and ethical consequences of advanced AI. This includes public hearings and transparent reporting to Congress and the American people.
Worker Protections and Accountability: The proposal demands new laws to ensure that workers displaced or harmed by AI automation receive robust protections, retraining, and compensation.
Regulatory Framework: Before any ban is lifted, Congress must enact a regulatory framework that puts people before profit, ensures transparency in AI development, and holds corporations accountable for the consequences of their technologies.
Senator Sanders and Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez are making a clear statement: we cannot allow tech CEOs and billionaires to unilaterally decide the fate of American jobs, privacy, and security. We must be proactive, not reactive, as AI threatens to disrupt entire industries—from truck drivers to accountants, teachers to nurses.
My Commitment: Universal Basic Income for Nevada
While other candidates dodge the tough questions, I am the only candidate in this race openly championing a direct cash payment to every Nevadan: a $1,300 per month Universal Basic Income (UBI), also known as the “Freedom Dividend” or the “Nevada Permanent Fund.” This is not a radical idea—Alaska has done it for 50 years, sharing oil wealth with every resident. We can do the same here in Nevada, but with a modern twist.
How Will We Fund It?
We will fund the Nevada Permanent Fund by ensuring large corporations—like Tesla, Amazon, and especially the billionaire-owned mining industry—finally pay their fair share. For decades, the mining industry in Nevada has reaped billions from our land with minimal returns to our communities. Meanwhile, automation and AI are poised to wipe out jobs not just in blue-collar sectors but also among white-collar professionals. We cannot wait until the jobs are gone and our neighbors are struggling. We must build a safety net now.
The Nevada Permanent Fund will:
Provide every resident with a guaranteed $1,300 monthly dividend.
Be funded by taxing the profits of automation-heavy corporations, Big Tech, and the mining industry.
Empower Nevadans to weather the storm of technological disruption, support small businesses, and invest in their families and futures.
Why Act Now?
AI isn’t just coming for factory floors—it’s coming for offices, hospitals, schools, and even creative professions. If we don’t act before the wave hits, it will be too late. The time for studies and slow-moving committees is over. We need preventative measures, not crisis management. Universal Basic Income is a proven, practical step that will keep Nevadans secure no matter what the future holds.
A Call for Moral Clarity and Courage
This election is not about left or right, Democrat or Republican. It is about human rights, human dignity, and human freedom. No one should hide behind the false comfort of neutrality, indifference, or the excuse of “I can’t take a public position because of my job.” When the rights and livelihoods of our families and communities are on the line, silence is not an option.
I am running to give you a real choice—a candidate who refuses to be bought by corporations or bullied by special interests. I stand with Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez on the urgent need to pause AI and protect our democracy, and I go further by demanding a Nevada Permanent Fund to guarantee economic security for all.
Join me in fighting for a Nevada—and an America—where technology serves the people, not the other way around. While some fear we are headed toward a 'Mad Max' future of chaos and inequality, I believe we have the power to choose a different path—a future of hope, cooperation, and progress, more like 'Star Trek.' If we act with courage and vision today, together we can ensure that technology uplifts every Nevadan and builds a society where no one is left behind.
In solidarity,
Gamy Enriquez,
Independent Democratic Candidate
Nevada’s Second Congressional District
