Nevada’s Moment: A Universal Basic Income of $1,300 Monthly for All, Powered by a Green Marshall Plan

I just returned from my latest rural tour, visiting Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Elko, Ely, and Eureka. Meeting so many proud, multi-generation Nevadans was inspiring — but my heart breaks seeing vibrant communities at risk of becoming ghost towns. The high cost of living, from housing to healthcare, has made it harder than ever for families to stay afloat. Despite being the most mineral-rich state in America, Nevada remains poor. Since our founding, Nevada has been treated like a colonial outpost: our wealth extracted, our people left behind. That must change.

As a lifelong Nevadan who is growing his family—my wife and I are expecting our first baby this summer—I want future generations to enjoy the wealth beneath our feet. It’s time for Nevada—and America—to invest in our people, not just in extracting our resources. That’s why I am the only candidate running for Congress in NVCD02 on a platform built around two bold but achievable ideas: a Universal Basic Income (UBI) for all Americans and a Green Marshall Plan to fund the transition to renewable energy at home and abroad. A Universal Basic Income is a policy in which every citizen receives a regular, unconditional sum of money from the government, ensuring a basic financial foundation regardless of employment status.

A Universal Basic Income: Common Sense, Not Partisanship

America is the only country in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)—a group of the world's most economically advanced countries that work together to improve their economies and living standards—that does not have a Value-Added Tax (VAT). I propose a targeted VAT applied specifically to billion-dollar companies—such as Tesla, Amazon, large data centers, mining corporations, and those involved in the energy transition who have benefited from taxpayer money—that are not paying their fair share. The revenue generated can fund a national UBI. This is not a radical idea: Thomas Paine spoke of a citizen’s dividend in his 1797 essay, “Agrarian Justice.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called for a guaranteed income. Alaska’s Permanent Fund has paid residents for decades. During the pandemic, both the Trump and Biden administrations issued stimulus checks. Economic relief is not a partisan issue; it’s an American tradition.

For fifty years, economic inequality has grown, wages have stagnated, and now automation and artificial intelligence threaten even more jobs. The affordability crisis—skyrocketing rents, higher grocery bills, and mounting healthcare costs—hits Northern Nevadans in NVCD02 especially hard, but these struggles are shared by working families across America. A $1,300 monthly UBI, paid for by those who benefit most from our system, would empower every American, restore dignity, and provide a foundation for entrepreneurship and family security.  Nevada’s own economic challenges — from rural poverty to housing affordability — demand bold solutions. UBI is as American as apple pie.

The Lithium Loop: Our Fair Share for a Green Future

Taxpayers have funded the research, roads, and infrastructure behind Nevada’s mineral boom. Now, as the world races toward electrification, lithium and other minerals are more valuable than ever. Yet, too often, profits leave our state, while our towns struggle. A Green Marshall Plan, inspired by the US-led post-WWII recovery effort and the visionary policies that led to the European Union, would invest these resources in Nevada, across America, and around the globe—while balancing the needs of all stakeholders and interested parties, including Indigenous communities, local residents, and environmental stewards. We can create millions of jobs, preserve our environment, and ensure that no town is left behind.

Internationally, a Green Marshall Plan would help our allies transition away from fossil fuels, reducing dependence on Middle Eastern oil and weakening the undue influence of the Israel Lobby on our foreign policy. It would also address emigration and migration by creating green jobs and supporting stable economies abroad, reducing the pressures that force people to leave their homes. This is not just about climate justice or environmental stewardship — though it is both moral and necessary — it’s about national security, human freedom, and economic opportunity. By exporting clean technologies and renewable expertise, America can lead the world, just as we did in the 20th century.

A Nonpartisan Call to Action

This is an inflection point in American history. Our institutions face challenges at home and abroad, but there is a silver lining: we are still the world’s greatest democracy, and we have the tools to build a better future. The high cost of everyday life is squeezing families in Northern Nevada and across the nation, threatening the American Dream. UBI and a Green Marshall Plan are not progressive or conservative ideas — they are American ideas. Progressives, moderates, conservatives, and libertarians alike can agree that every Nevadan and every American deserves a fair shot, a living wage, and a healthy planet. Universal Basic Income is a policy that benefits all: progressives appreciate its focus on economic fairness and social safety net; moderates value its practical approach to reducing poverty and empowering families; conservatives recognize that UBI can streamline government programs, reduce bureaucracy, and promote dignity through individual choice; libertarians support UBI because it enables financial independence and personal freedom, giving every citizen the means to pursue their own goals without dependence on complex welfare systems. In this way, UBI unites diverse perspectives by offering a simple, effective foundation for opportunity and prosperity.

Article I, Section 8, Clause 1 of the U.S. Constitution authorizes Congress to "lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defense and general Welfare of the United States." This grants broad power to raise revenue and spend for national needs, mandated only by geographical uniformity. Because of the Supremacy Clause in the U.S. Constitution, this is the best approach to negotiate a VAT and Universal Basic Income nationally in Congress. I will use this authority to advance bold solutions for Nevada and our nation. Nevada must lead the renewable revolution. We will reclaim our wealth, invest in our people, and build a future worthy of our proud traditions. UBI and a Green Marshall Plan will be our legacy—for Nevada, for America, and for generations yet unborn.

​Seize This Moment

We can't wait another generation. Nevada generates enormous wealth, yet too many families still face high costs and uncertain futures. It's time to turn our resources into opportunity.

The status quo is a choice. We can choose a future where prosperity is shared. Together, we can build an economy that works for all.

Nevada can lead the nation. We have the resources and the opportunity to show what's possible when we invest in our people.

This isn’t about me. It’s about building a movement for an economy that serves everyone, not just the privileged few. When we come together, we win real change.

Change won’t come from politicians alone. It will take all of us—rural and urban Nevadans, young and old, from every background—demanding and organizing for shared prosperity.

This is our moment. The wealth is here. Let's claim our fair share and build a brighter future—together.

Join the movement. Vote in the Democratic primary if you’re in CD02—early voting starts May 23 to June 5th. Election Day is June 9. Talk to your neighbors, family, and friends. Together, we can build a Nevada that works for everyone.

Alaska proved it works. Nevada is Battle Born and can do it even better—if we act together.

Together, we can build an economy that works for everyone. Not me. Us.