Smith, Craig Push for Expanded Eligibility for Stimulus Dependent Credits

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., addresses students at the University of Minnesota on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020, in Minneapolis. Smith faced Republican Jason Lewis in the Senate race in Minnesota. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

(KNSI) – Two Minnesota lawmakers are calling on leaders in the House and Senate to broaden who qualifies for a dependent credit in the next wave of COVID-19 stimulus assistance.

In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and Senate Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senator Tina Smith and Representative Angie Craig say that the definition of a dependent used for the first round of stimulus checks was too restrictive.

“As you know, prior rounds of economic impact payments have limited economic impact payments to children age 16 and below, rather than to all dependents,” Craig and Smith write. “This has left nearly 15 million dependents unable to receive economic impact payments.”

Craig and Smith write that the definition of a dependent in this context should include children 18 and younger, college students 23 and younger and disabled adults and other relatives who qualify as dependents.

“While the CASH Act and the Heroes Acts passed by the House provided for an expanded definition of dependent, former Majority Leader Mitch McConnell failed to take action on these relief proposals, leaving millions of families hurting,” they write.

Bicameral legislation proposing this change is forthcoming from the two lawmakers.

Smith is also among 29 senators asking the Department of the Treasury to make sure homeless Americans are able to receive stimulus payments.