Providing for Consideration of H.R. Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act of and for Other Purposes

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, in southeastern Pennsylvania, and in cities and towns across the country, restaurants are an essential cornerstone of our local communities and our regional economies. These restaurants were hard-hit by the pandemic.

Despite the excellence of their cuisine, over the past 2 years, many independent restaurants in Philly, Delaware County, and Montgomery County struggled to stay in business, and some permanently shuttered.

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, passed as part of the American Rescue Plan, was a lifeline for the restaurants that received it. The program provided grants targeted to the hardest-hit restaurants, giving restaurant operators financial relief to keep their doors open and keep people employed.

The funds weren't enough to match the need. I have heard it from my constituents, and everybody who is listening has heard it from their constituents. While roughly 300,000 restaurants applied for aid, only about 100,000 received grants.

For months, I have joined Representative Blumenauer and my colleagues in calling to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, using only funds recouped from fraudulent claims that have been made in earlier small business relief programs. The Relief for Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act will provide additional financial support to restaurants and small businesses in the industries that are still grievously affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Speaker, I am glad this needed bill is getting a vote on the floor. I strongly support the rule and its underlying legislation, and I urge all of my colleagues to recognize that this issue is still before us and to do the same.

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