Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the urgent need for additional relief for our restaurants. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, restaurants in my district and across the country have been at the front line of our battle against COVID-19. The Restaurant Revitalization Fund offered a vital lifeline at a time when restaurants desperately needed our help. However, the funds quickly ran out, leaving hundreds of thousands of restaurants without any relief, including in my State of North Carolina. In a cruel twist, many restaurants were approved for funding, but never saw a dime. For example, Kim Hammer, who owns Bittersweet in Raleigh, was approved for a grant by the Small Business Association. Despite this, Kim still hasn't received any relief and said, ``It feels like no one is listening.'' Well, we are listening. Every time a new variant emerges and cases surge, the survival of countless restaurants is thrown into jeopardy. As I hear from restaurant owners in my district, they all tell me how essential the restaurant relief program was; but that it simply was not enough. During the peak surge of the Omicron variant, Cheetie Kumar, the owner of Garland restaurant in Raleigh, said she just hoped she could keep the doors open for both her customers and for her staff. Jennifer Cramer, the owner of Catalan Taps restaurant in Cary, had to start a GoFundMe campaign to keep her lights on and her employees on payroll. Mr. Speaker, our fight against this pandemic is not over.…”