Senator Murray is currently pushing to secure additional funding for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which would cover all existing applications to the program that have not yet been met
ICYMI: Senator Murray Meets with Seattle Restaurant Owners in Continued Push for Federal Relief for Washington State Small Businesses – MORE HERE
Senator Murray: “I want to ensure that we’re assisting small businesses rather than large corporations that don’t require assistance. We’re working on a bipartisan small business assistance package, and this legislation in particular is a key priority for me.”
***WATCH VIDEO OF THE EVENT HERE***
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) joined restaurant owners from Eastern and Central Washington, virtually to address the challenges they’ve faced, particularly during the outbreak of the Omicron variant, and what more is needed to help restaurant and small business owners survive the pandemic. Senator Murray provided updates on her efforts to gain extra government assistance for small businesses, notably restaurants, and highlighted her other legislative objectives to benefit small business owners and workers at the virtual roundtable.
Senator Murray noted during the roundtable that, while provisions she helped secure in the American Rescue Plan have helped restaurants across the state stay afloat, there are still too many others who did not receive the same federal support as other restaurants right next door. Murray provided an update on her efforts to secure additional federal relief for small businesses, particularly restaurants, and highlighted her other legislative priorities to support small business owners and workers, such as efforts to strengthen supply chains and a federal child care policy to strengthen the workforce in Washington state.
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.
“I want to ensure that we’re assisting small businesses rather than large corporations that don’t require assistance. We’re working on a bipartisan small business assistance package, and this legislation in particular is a key priority for me,” said Senator Murray. “I recognize that the issues that small business owners are still facing are many and complex, ranging from increasing prices due to inflation to restaurant supply shortages. That’s why I’m a cosponsor of bipartisan legislation that would not only cover all existing applications by providing another $48 billion in additional federal aid but also help hard-to-reach businesses and communities apply.”
During the event, Senator Murray underscored the different challenges currently hurting workers and businesses statewide—including inflation, staff shortages, supply chain issues, and more. While there has been significant progress in addressing these problems like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law which will help strengthen supply chains, Senator Murray emphasized that additional federal legislation is needed to lower costs for families and build a strong economy for everyone that will put small businesses and working people first. Murray reiterated her commitment to pass fully paid for proposals that reduce costs for people across Washington state—from making child care more affordable, to lowering health care costs—and would help create opportunity and an economy that works for everyone.
“I’m working right now in the other Washington on a lot of different pieces to keep building a strong economy recovery for every small business and every family in our state,” continued Senator Murray. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law I helped pass is already getting money out to communities that’s going to strengthen supply chains and make sure goods are getting where they need to go—and the federal child care proposal I’ve authored by the way, would do a lot to help address workforce and labor issues. I’m working to get our entire state on a track towards a fairer, stronger economy—where everyone can succeed.”
Senator Murray was joined by Paul Garcia, part-owner of El Mirador Restaurant in Yakima, Tom Sciortino, owner of Wild Sage Bistro in Spokane, and Alison Collins, owner of Boots Bakery and Lounge in Spokane.
“We have seen that the long term results of COVID over the last two years have absolutely affected our supply chain—and in our opinion, is one of the root causes for the inflationary costs we’re seeing now which we haven’t seen in decades,” said Paul Garcia, part-owner of El Mirador Restaurant in Yakima. “We’re very thankful to welcome the opportunity to present what we think are some possible courses of action for you to review. And after hearing you speak moments ago, what you said actually falls in line with what we were going to suggest—which includes expanding the qualification criteria for restaurants and businesses that previously did not qualify for funding.”
“It’s still very etched in my mind today when we closed down in March 2020. We emptied thousands of dollars of product, gave it to our crew, and closed our doors not really knowing what was going to happen next,” said Tom Sciortino, owner of Wild Sage Bistro in Spokane. “There’s still a lot of uncertainty. 16 years in, we’re a very established business, yet I can only imagine how difficult it is for businesses trying to get a foothold in while just starting off. We’ve been very fortunate with the PPP Loans and local grants that we have been lucky enough to receive. It’s been our lifeline and has kept our doors open, allowing our staff to come back. It’s really just the uncertainty of what’s is going to happen next. It’s worrisome because restaurants already operate on such slim margins and are so very vulnerable to all these ups and downs.”
“We were fortunate to be able to pivot to offering take-out before the shutdown. Although take-out is a lot more expensive because you’re trying to buy all these things you can’t find,” said Alison Collins, owner of Boots Bakery and Lounge in Spokane. “The supply chain issues have been huge for us. We spend hours and hours trying to source out things, but they’re far more expensive than they were just a few weeks ago. When we shut down, we paid our staff, but had to put them on hold. We have staff back now, and all of our staff who want to be here are here. But the uncertainty of it all is where we are struggling.”
Senator Murray has been a longtime champion for Washington state’s restaurants and small businesses, and has pushed for provisions to support business owners through the pandemic. Murray helped secure provisions from the RESTAURANTS Act, including more than $28 billion to create a Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and other small business relief in federal aid packages, including the American Rescue Plan.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, Washington state businesses have received more than $9 billion in federal relief. Over the course of the pandemic, Senator Murray has met with small business owners to discuss the importance of federal relief funding to keep small businesses in business, including yesterday in Seattle.
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