OC Register columnist praises David Pan’s UBI plan

Orange County Register opinion columnist John Seiler praised Republican congressional candidate David Pan’s universal basic income proposal and called him one of the most intelligent House candidates he has interviewed. Pan says his plan would phase out welfare and entitlement programs to help fund a $16,000 annual payment for every citizen 21 and older.

Why it matters: - John Seiler’s comments give a notable boost to David Pan’s campaign in Orange County, California, where Pan is pitching a major rewrite of federal social spending. - Pan’s proposal aims to replace parts of the welfare and entitlement system with a universal basic income, a policy idea that could reshape how Republicans talk about safety net programs. - Seiler also linked Pan’s approach to Milton Friedman’s view that a basic income can fit limited-government principles.

What happened: - Orange County Register opinion columnist John Seiler praised Republican congressional candidate David Pan’s universal basic income plan. - Seiler said Pan is one of the most intelligent candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives he has interviewed. - Pan is running for Congress in Orange County, California. - Pan’s plan would phase out welfare and entitlement programs to fund a universal basic income of $16,000 per year for every citizen age 21 and older. - Seiler also expressed support for Pan’s views on immigration, foreign policy and healthcare. - Seiler said he did not agree with all of Pan’s positions.

The details: - Seiler cited Milton Friedman, who argued that his original idea for this kind of plan was “more compatible with the philosophy and aims of the proponents of limited government and maximum individual freedom.” - Pan said many national problems could be solved if politicians were willing to set aside differences and pursue pragmatic solutions. - Pan said current problems include a failing welfare and entitlement system, fraud and waste in government, high healthcare costs and a ballooning national debt. - Pan said his plan would guarantee current benefits while creating a new equitable system for young people. - The campaign contact listed for the release is Anna Bryson of David Pan for Congress.

Between the lines: - Seiler’s praise suggests Pan is trying to make a conservative case for a policy more often associated with the political left. - Friedman’s framing gives Pan a market-friendly argument for UBI that may be easier for limited-government voters to accept. - The release is as much about credibility as policy, using an outside endorsement to validate Pan’s broader agenda.

What's next: - Pan is likely to keep using the endorsement to promote his campaign and his UBI proposal to Orange County voters. - The release directs readers to Pan’s social accounts on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and X for more information. - More information - Campaign updates - Facebook page - YouTube channel - TikTok account - X account