Senator Bernie Sanders slammed Telsa CEO Elon Musk for saying he opposes another stimulus package, an idea Musk says is not in the people's best interest.
"Another government stimulus package is not in the best interests of the people imo," Musk wrote on Twitter.
"What a hypocrite," Sanders replied. "Elon Musk has received billions in corporate welfare from U.S. taxpayers. Now he wants to stop 30 million Americans who lost jobs from receiving $600 a week in unemployment benefits, while his wealth has gone up by $46.7 billion over the past 4 months.
"Pathetic."
Musk later explained his position, replying to his own tweet writing, "These are jammed to gills with special interests earmarks. If we do a stimulus at all, it should just be direct payments to consumers. As a reminder, I’m in *favor* of universal basic income. Goal of government should be to maximize the happiness of the people. Giving each person money allows them to decide what meets their needs, rather than the blunt tool of legislation, which creates self-serving special interests."
A potential second stimulus bill is expected to include payments to American citizens, extended unemployment benefits, and increased aid to the Paycheck Protection Program.
[Via]