Marilyn Strickland: “This week is one to celebrate. After almost a year of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations, the House will finally take up…”

“This week is one to celebrate. After almost a year of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations, the House will finally take up legislation to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund and move us one step closer to getting much-needed relief for restaurants across the finish line. The funds provided by Congress in 2021 were a lifeline for so many businesses in Washington State and across our Nation. Restaurants were hit especially hard by highly transmissible COVID-19 variants, staffing shortages, supply chain issues, and inflation, which only added to the existing challenges and long-term effects that brought many to the brink of closing their doors for good. Restaurants have lost 2 years' worth of revenue, and it will take them years to recover and repay their debts. In fact, in Washington State alone, the average full-service restaurant reports being $160,000 in debt, and it would take them over 3 years to repay it. I know how critical this second round of funding is because I regularly hear about it from my constituents. The south Puget Sound of Washington State is the proud home of so many small, local restaurants, including Vien Dong in the Lincoln International District and Budd Bay Cafe in Olympia, to name a few. Many businesses are still struggling to get back on their feet, and most were shut out from ever receiving relief in the first place.…”