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State Sen. Paul Bettencourt told Fox News Digital that a guaranteed income program should be unconstitutional and wants Attorney General Ken Paxton to weigh in.

A spokesperson for the Economic Securities Project (ESP), an organization that led the creation of more than 100 guaranteed income programs, told Fox News Digital that affordability is creating the "need to bring cash to communities even more urgent."

"Further, the destruction of the social safety net paired with skyrocketing costs of healthcare and food have made the need to bring cash to communities even more urgent," ESP's Director of Cash Initiatives, Shafeka Hashash, told Fox News Digital.

"Amid the affordability crisis, we have a responsibility to share what we know about cash: that it provides stability, supports economic mobility and helps families move toward a more economically secure future," she added.

GUARANTEED INCOME PROGRAM TARGETS LOW-INCOME HOMES LED BY BLACK MOMS AS CASH HANDOUTS SURGE NATIONWIDE

A Chicago suburb, Evanston, Illinois, announced expansion of their guaranteed income program to spend the remainder of its federal funds. The program was originally launched as a pilot funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Under federal law, these recovery funds must be obligated by the end of 2024 and fully spent by the end of 2026. (Getty)

As Americans are struggling with rising housing, food and energy costs, both parties are trying to convince voters they have the answer to the affordability crisis ahead of the high-stakes midterm elections. The past holiday weekend was emblematic of ongoing concern over affordability. The AAA estimated that nearly 40 million Americans would pay unprecedented prices for gasoline, foisting the most expensive Labor Day holiday at the pump on record.

Meanwhile, the ESP has been pushing for guaranteed income long before affordability became a salient issue. Founded in 2016, ESP originally launched with more than "100 entrepreneurs, activists, researchers, and philanthropists" advocating for direct cash payments.

Hashash’s comments came after ESP released a report published Aug. 12 and titled "Right on Time: How Cash Helps Families Move Through Life’s Transitions," making the case for institutionalizing "no-strings-attached" cash assistance.