ICYMI: Senator Murray Pushes for More Relief for Small Businesses During Roundtable with Eastern and Central Washington Restaurant Owners – MORE HERE
ICYMI: Senator Murray Meets with Seattle Restaurant Owners in Continued Push for Federal Relief for Washington State Small Businesses – MORE HERE
Sen. Murray: “I feel very strongly we need to pass both bills, so why not get them both done together and as soon as possible. Let’s keep America healthy and our restaurants open for business.”
***WATCH SENATOR MURRAY’S FLOOR SPEECH HERE***
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee took to the Senate floor, calling on her colleagues to pass additional federal relief for restaurants and small businesses along with the COVID-19 supplemental requested by the White House—making the case that both legislative items are critical to Washington state communities.
Senator Murray is currently fighting to pass the Continuing Emergency Support for Restaurants Act, which would secure an additional $48 billion in funding for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund which would cover all existing applications to the program that could not be met before funds were fully spent. This legislation is currently being negotiated as a part of a broader bipartisan legislative package to support small businesses—Senator Murray today called for this bipartisan package to be passed along with the COVID-19 supplemental.
Senator Murray has continually urged her colleagues to pass a COVID supplemental to ensure communities across the country have the vaccines, therapeutics and other measures needed to continue to have the upper hand in the fight against COVID-19.
“For many restaurant owners, the funds were gone before they were able to get the same relief their neighbor got,” said Senator Murray on the floor of the Senate. “I just don’t think it’s right that a business on one side of the street in Seattle got federal dollars from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, but another mom and pop shop just next door—just as qualified, that also got approved—didn’t get the money because the funds ran dry.”
“We all know we have got to get funding for a COVID supplemental passed and soon,” continued Senator Murray. “So let’s get both passed together to make sure we are doing everything to keep every part of our economy up and running and that this administration has what it needs to fund every other tool we know will keep restaurants open, keep schools open, and every other part of our communities. I feel very strongly we need to pass both bills, so why not get them both done together and as soon as possible. Let’s keep America healthy and our restaurants open for business.”
Senator Murray’s remarks as prepared are below:
M. President, I met with restaurant owners from all over my state last month—from Seattle to Yakima to Spokane.
And we talked about how the American Rescue Plan was important. How that bill made recovery possible for so many restaurants in our state—but not for everyone and that’s why I’m on the Senate floor today. The American Rescue was absolutely a lifeline—it designated more than $28 billion to establish a Restaurant Revitalization Fund which gave restaurant owners the financial support they needed to keep their doors open, rehire workers, and deal with the continued effects of COVID-19.
More than 3,500 Washington state businesses have received over $9 billion in federal loans, grants, and debt relief since the start of the pandemic. That’s not even considering the flexible dollars we provided local governments to help local small businesses.
Now that really made a difference and helped a lot of folks keep their doors open and their employees on payroll. But for many restaurant owners, the funds were gone before they were able to get the same relief their neighbor got.
I just don’t think it’s right that a business on one side of the street in Seattle got federal dollars from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, but another mom and pop shop just next door—just as qualified, that also got approved—didn’t get the money because the funds ran dry.
Now I know this is true for communities in red states and blue states—our restaurants are often the heart of our community: they serve local favorites that remind us of home, they sponsor our sports teams and community causes, they allow us to share a meal, celebrate with family and friends, and make memories.
Making these businesses whole is critical for our economy, but it’s essential to preserving what makes Seattle—Seattle or Spokane—Spokane.
I know many of my Republican colleagues feel the same way, so I want us to look at every possible option to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund and get help to every restaurant who applied, got approved, but didn’t get the same help as everyone else.
We’ve got good bipartisan bills to get this done. Our legislation would also help hard-to-reach businesses and communities apply for this assistance. Because I really want to make sure we’re helping actual small businesses, not giant corporations who don’t need it.
Any Senator who has spoken to local restaurant owners knows they are dealing with really tough challenges right now: increased costs from inflation, shortages of everything from straws to chicken wings, it’s not easy finding wait staff and cooks, and so much more.
That’s why it’s so urgent that we get a bipartisan, small business relief package that makes our restaurants whole over the finish line as soon as possible.
So let’s do whatever we need to do to get this done and keep our restaurants open.
Now everyone here, knows how strongly I feel that we get a COVID supplemental passed as soon as possible—we don’t know when the next variant might come or how bad it could be. We don’t want to end up in the same position as before where we didn’t have enough tests, vaccines, or therapeutics.
We all know we have got to get funding for a COVID supplemental passed and soon, so let’s get both passed together to make sure we are doing everything to keep every part of our economy up and running and that this administration has what it needs to fund every other tool we know will: keep restaurants open, keep schools open, and every other part of our communities.
I feel very strongly we need to pass both bills, so why not get them both done together and as soon as possible.
Let’s keep America healthy and our restaurants open for business.
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