Providing for Consideration of H.R. Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act of and for Other Purposes
Floor Speech
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Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague for yielding. And I also want to thank my distinguished colleagues on both sides for the conversation at the Rules Committee.
I want to speak for a few moments, Mr. Speaker, as somebody who has spent 35 years in the restaurant business, owning and managing restaurants in California, small businesses that were vital to the communities where they were; and how important they are to restart Main Street America in every district; the multipliers of having restaurants open, and the difficulty and the cash flow of a small business like this, and why this initiative is so important.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that in 2019, there were 12.1 million people employed in the restaurant and food service industry. So many of those people immediately lost their jobs and their incomes with no warning when the pandemic hit. In April of 2020 alone, the restaurant industry lost 5\1/2\ million jobs.
Through the American Rescue Plan, we established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which provided $28.6 billion in emergency assistance to eligible restaurants, bars, and qualifying businesses impacted by the pandemic.
Although this program helped more than 100,000 restaurants and food and beverage businesses across the country, in every district, the program received applications of nearly three times the amount of money that it had to give out. We cannot overlook the obvious need.
The Relief for Restaurants and Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act, H.R. 3807, would inject $42 billion to allow the Small Business Administration to process the applications of over 150,000 eligible entities that previously applied for relief.
I met and talked to many of my former colleagues in the business who have applied for these funds and they speak very positively about their experience and how helpful it was to get them through the pandemic. It helps these small businesses. Through the pandemic, at least 40 percent of pandemic-related revenue loss was suffered by businesses with fewer than 200 employees.
Again, as a former restaurant owner myself, I have seen how restaurants can bring communities together. We owe it to these local business entrepreneurs, these owners, and millions of workers who depend on this help, to pass this important bill.
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