A bipartisan group of senators recently introduced a bill designed to expand credit access opportunities for Americans.
Sens. Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Tim Scott (R-SC), Doug Jones (D-AL), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Jon Tester (D-MT) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) said the Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2019 addresses circumstances in which Americans
do not have a history of traditional loan payments, such as student loans, mortgages, and car loans.
“Oftentimes, Americans who struggle with access to credit are able to pay their bills – but the recurring bills they pay are not included in the credit rating process,” King said. “Maine people who pay their phone and utility bills on time every month should be able to point to these bills as an example of credit because these are the major expenses they incur every month. This bill is about giving people the chance to establish themselves and open up new avenues to success – it doesn’t get more common sense than that.”
In April, King wrote a letter challenging the IRS to refocus its limited resources away from disproportionately auditing lower-income households who utilize the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and co-sponsored the Working Families Tax Relief Act, which expands the EITC and Childcare Tax Credit (CTC).