Political Quotes

“I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy and his leadership. Mr. Speaker, the hardest hit sector of our economy is the 500,000 independent restaurants and their 11 million employees. That is why there are 2.3 million of those employees unemployed. And one out of six restaurants has closed permanently, with the prospect of up to 85 percent being lost in the year ahead. Sadly, the impact has been disproportionately on women, minorities, and immigrants. The PPE program didn't work for restaurants. They don't need complicated loans. They don't know, in many cases, whether they are going to be open in 2 or 3 months. The restrictions across the country are such that most restaurants simply do not have a viable economic model. That is why I introduced the Restaurants Act. I am pleased that $50 billion has been designated for small business in this resolution, and I hope at least 50 percent of that will be dedicated to the bipartisan and bicameral Restaurants Act that we have introduced. It has over half the Members of the House of Representatives cosponsoring and over half the Senate. We have an opportunity to move this forward in a way that will give a lifeline to our restaurants that are the cornerstone of our community. We give them that lifeline, and next year at this time most of it will be back to normal. They will be vaccinated, the weather will change, and we will be able to return to that vibrant part of our communities. But they need the lifeline.…”