Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today joined 86 Members of Congress in introducing the All Dependent Children Count Act, a bipartisan bill to guarantee college students and adult dependents will receive the one-time COVID-19 relief payments authorized by the CARES Act. The coronavirus relief package that passed Congress and was signed by President Trump last Friday provides $1,200 to most adults and $500 for children under age 17, but excludes anyone who could be claimed as a dependent. The All Dependent Children Count Act would expand the definition of a dependent for the Recovery Rebates for Individual section of the CARES Act to include: children under 19, students under 24, and dependents who have disabilities. 

“Although some young adults may be claimed as a ‘dependents’ they are actually financially independent and could be out of work or struggling to make rent because of this pandemic,” said Pingree. “It’s critical that we act on this bill and make this technical fix to the CARES Act so that millions of Americans do not lose out on much-needed economic relief.”

The full bill text can be found here.

Authored by Rep. Craig, original cosponsors of the All Dependent Children Count Act include: Reps. Cindy Axne, Don Beyer, Sanford D. Bishop, Earl Blumenauer, Lisa Blunt Rochester, Tony Cárdenas, Joaquin Castro, David Cicilline, Steve Cohen, Gerry Connolly, Jason Crow, Judy Chu, Sharice Davids, Madeleine Dean, Peter DeFazio, Ted Deutch, Mike Doyle, Veronica Escobar, Adriano Espaillat, Jeff Fortenberry, Sylvia Garcia, Vicente Gonzalez, Brian Higgins, Sheila Jackson Lee, Pramila Jayapal, Marcy Kaptur, John Katko, Derek Kilmer, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Annie Kuster, James Langevin, Rick Larsen, John B. Larson, Mike Levin, Dave Loebsack, Alan Lowenthal, Ben Ray Luján, Stephen Lynch, Carolyn Maloney, Sean Patrick Maloney, Ben McAdams, Gregory W. Meeks, Joe Morelle, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, Stephanie Murphy, Jerrold Nadler, Grace Napolitano, Joe Neguse, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Jimmy Panetta, Chris Pappas, Collin C. Peterson, Dean Phillips, Chellie Pingree, Mark Pocan, Katie Porter, David Price, Max Rose, Harley Rouda, Lucille Roybal-Allard, C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger, Tim Ryan, Gregorio Sablan, Mary Gay Scanlon, Jan Schakowsky, David Scott, Terri Sewell, Donna Shalala, Mikie Sherill, Elissa Slotkin, Adam Smith, Darren Soto, Abigail Spanberger, Haley Stevens, Mark Takano, Rashida Talib, Lori Trahan, David Trone, Lauren Underwood, Nydia M. Velázquez, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Peter Welch, Susan Wild, Frederica S. Wilson, and John Yarmuth.

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