-9999

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I met with restaurant owners from all over my State last month--from Seattle to Yakima, to Spokane--and we talked about the American Rescue Plan and how important that was and how that bill made recovery possible for so many restaurants in our State--but not for everyone, and that is why I am on the Senate floor today.

The American Rescue Plan was absolutely a lifeline. It designated more than $28 billion to establish a Restaurant Revitalization Fund that gave restaurant owners the financial support they needed to keep their doors open, to rehire workers, and to deal with the continued effects of COVID-19.

More than 3,500 Washington State businesses have received over $9 billion in Federal loans and grants and debt relief since the start of the pandemic. That is not even considering the flexible dollars that 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 the payroll, but for many restaurant owners, the funds were gone before they were able to get the same relief their neighbors got.

I don't think it is 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 and 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 in blue States--that our restaurants are often the heart of a community. They serve their local favorites that remind us of home. They sponsor our sports teams and community causes. They allow us to get together and share a meal and celebrate with family and friends and make memories. Making these businesses whole is critical for our economy, but it is 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 that applied and got approved but didn't get the same help as everyone else.

We have got good bipartisan bills to get this done. Our legislation would help hard-to-reach businesses and communities apply for the assistance because I really want to make sure we are helping actual small businesses, not giant corporations that don't need it.

Any Senator who has spoken to local restaurant owners knows they are dealing, still, with really tough challenges right now: increased costs from inflation and shortages of everything from straws to chicken wings, and it is not easy to find wait staff and cooks and a lot more. That is why it is 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.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source