Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) in urging Congressional leaders to immediately pass the bipartisan RESTAURANTS Act to establish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) and provide Nevadan restaurateurs with funding to rehire workers and deal with the long-term ramifications of COVID-19.
“The restaurant industry has been uniquely devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly one in four jobs lost from the pandemic were those of restaurant and bar workers,” wrote the Senators. “The food and beverage industry is still down 2.3 million jobs since the pandemic began, a number that is sure to rise with increasing infection rates and new restrictions. Despite bearing the brunt of this economic crisis, independent restaurants have received no directly tailored federal aid.”
The Senators continued, “The RESTAURANTS Act would create a restaurant revitalization fund that can be used for a wide range of expenses, including payroll and benefits, food, utilities, rent, maintenance, and supplies. This legislation has gained bipartisan support in Congress, as well as backing from restaurateurs and a large coalition of industries that rely on restaurants.… This type of economic multiplier is needed now more than ever. We urge you to pass the RESTAURANTS Act quickly as part of a COVID-19 relief bill or a year-end spending bill.”
The full text of the letter can be found HERE.
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