Sewell urges passage of bill to relieve restaurants, small businesses affected by pandemic

Rep. Terri Sewell has voted for a bill to provide funds for restaurants and small businesses, urging its passage to relieve those who have been affected by the COVID pandemic. 

The bill, titled H.R. 3807, or the Relief for Restaurants & Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act, could provided $55 billion in funds. 

“Small businesses are the lifeblood of Alabama’s economy,” said Sewell in an announcement. “Today, House Democrats are once again taking action to support small businesses that were hit hardest by the pandemic."

"The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which we created in the historic American Rescue Plan, has served as a lifeline for Alabama’s restaurants and small businesses, providing over $150 million in relief. Today’s legislation builds on our progress with additional funding for these establishments to ensure they can continue to reopen, recover, and rehire. As we build a better Alabama, I will continue to make supporting our small businesses a top priority!”

Part of the funds would come from the federal government taking from what Sewell's announcement described as "bad actors" that have defrauded the public. 

The effect of the legislation would be threefold. From Sewell's announcement: 

• Replenishes the Restaurant Revitalization Fund to rescue struggling establishments - Established through Democrats’ American Rescue Plan, which Sewell helped pass, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) distributed $28.6 billion to restaurants across the country – including $154,096,761 for 866 small businesses in Alabama. Due to its popularity, the program quickly exhausted its funding before more than 170,000 eligible businesses could access relief. The Relief for Restaurants & Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act will provide $42 billion to replenish the RRF so that these restaurants can apply for this assistance.
• Helps ensure that the hardest hit small businesses don’t get left out - H.R. 3807 provides $13 billion to establish the new Hard Hit Industries Award Program, an SBA initiative to assist small businesses from across industries that were hardest hit by the pandemic and lost revenue but were not eligible for other grants or awards. Businesses eligible for these grants would have 200 or fewer employees and have experienced 40 percent or more in lost revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Provides much-needed flexibility to theaters, performing arts centers, and other venues to expend relief funds - The bill amends the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program by extending the timeframe that current award recipients are required to incur expenses and expend grant funds.