NEG Case

Resolved: The United States should replace means-tested welfare programs with a
universal basic income.

We negate,
Contention One is Taxation

Greenstein 19 says that UBI’s cost will mainly have to be accounted for with higher
taxes. They say “A UBI that’s financed primarily by tax increases would require the American
people to accept a level of taxation that vastly exceeds anything in U.S. history.

Brookings 18 says the increase in tax will take more money from barely tax-paying middle class
citizens than UBI gives.

This is detrimental for two key reasons

First is an increase of poverty

Jacksons 20 finds that middle class and low paying citizens are a target of tax. Unfortunately,
Jacksons quantifies that any more tax ported on lower class citizens will go into poverty.

Henderson 19 finds that a small UBI would ultimately increase taxes over 50%. That’s at a
minimum, considering the price increases.

Second is VAT

CRFB 19 finds that the most probable way the US intends on funding a UBI will be paid for
with a Value-Added-Tax. It would have to be a 25 to 50 percent VAT. This is drastic as the US
currently has no VAT.

Other forms of taxation including income tax or carbon tax wouldn’t be sufficient or plausible
because UBI is way too expensive, writes Greenstien Leaving a VAT tax as the only option left.

A VAT tax is detrimental to the impoverished, as Giga 20 finds that a 1% VAT tax hurts the
poor, and CRFB’s 25 to 50 percent will keep those in poverty in a static position.

The impact is aiding those in poverty, as Benson 20 quantifies that the poor are already getting
hurt by taxation, and toppling an even higher amount of tax is deleterious.
 Contention Two is Immigrants

Amadeo 19 finds that the most widely accepted definition of a UBI applies to citizens only,
excluding America’s 40 million immigrants.

However, Camarota 19 quantifies that 63% of noncitizen households are on welfare. Affirming
leaves 4.7 million households with no access to help, which is devastating as the NCBI finds that
a lack of welfare leads to a 20 percent increase in mortality.

Contention Three is Hurting the Impoverished

Replacing means tested welfare with a UBI would severely undercut the governmental aid low
income households receive. Minogue 20 writes that just SNAP, EITC, and Section 8 housing
vouchers alone provide 31,000 dollars a year to each person, amounting to 19,000 dollars greater
than the proposed 12,000 a year UBI.

There are two places where affirming hurts those in poverty

First is SNAP

The CBPP writes that, SNAP, or food stamps, promote long term well being by reducing food
insecurity.

Indeed, Mitchell 19 explains that young children with food stamps grew up with a more
nutritious diet, leading to higher graduation rates and lower rates of health problems like heart
disease and obesity.

Overall, Kasperkevic 19 finds that without food stamps, the poverty rate would be 2.6
percentage points higher.

Second is healthcare

Healthcare services are some of the most effective means tested welfare programs. Ben 19 writes
that 71 million of the poorest Americans are currently enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP to get
access to cheap, high-quality healthcare.
Indeed, these programs are key because private healthcare is too expensive. Paradise 20 found
that if low income families lost access to Medicaid or CHIP, total out-of-pocket medical
spending on private insurance would rise by 37%.

Unfortunately, a UBI is an insufficient replacement for these healthcare programs. Matthews 20

writes that a 12,000 dollar UBI is little in comparison to insurance covering 60,000 dollars a year
on chemotherapy.

Even a high UBI cannot cover healthcare costs paired with other necessities like food, as the
CMS 19 finds that Americans spend, on average, 11,000 dollars a year on insurance.

By dramatically decreasing healthcare costs, Wagnerman 20 quantifies that Medicaid alone has
lifted over 2.6 million Americans out of poverty and Matt 19 found that Medicaid and CHIP
have decreased annual mortality rates by 64% and saved over 19,000 lives.

Overall, Dorfman 20 concludes that Medicaid, SNAP, and other means tested welfare programs
have lifted 48 million Americans out of poverty.

Thus, we are very proud to negate.