U.S. Rep Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA) voted this week to secure relief for restaurants and small businesses hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scanlon said she supported the “Relief for Restaurants & Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act,” which is slated to deliver $55 billion to replenish funding for restaurants and establish funding for a new program to support small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of Pennsylvania’s economy and are helping power our historic recovery,” Scanlon said. “This bill will also establish a new program to support Pennsylvania’s hardest-hit small businesses — delivering assistance to businesses that have suffered revenue losses of at least 40 percent during the pandemic. Democrats remain laser-focused on Building a Better America, and I will continue fighting to help entrepreneurs keep Pennsylvanians on payroll and continue serving our communities.”
The bill would provide $42 billion to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RFF), which distributed $28.6 billion to restaurants across the country during the pandemic as part of the American Rescue Plan. The bill would also provide $13 billion to establish the Hard Hit Industries Award Program.
It would also assist Pennsylvania small businesses with fewer than 200 employees that have experienced a 40 percent or greater loss in revenue and update the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program by giving more time and flexibility to use federal relief funds.