U.S. Rep. Lawrence Votes to Support Restaurants and Hard Hit Small Businesses

Press Release

Today, U.S. Representative Brenda L. Lawrence (MI-14), Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Committee, voted for H.R. 3807, the Relief for Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act of 2022. This bill provides $42 billion to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) and $13 billion to establish the Hard Hit Industries Award Program, a Small Business Administration (SBA) initiative to assist small businesses from across industries that were hardest hit by the pandemic but were not eligible for other grants or awards. Businesses eligible for these grants would have 200 or fewer employees and have experienced 40 percent or more in lost revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"For many restaurants and small businesses, they are still struggling to stay afloat during this pandemic. I hosted a roundtable last month with SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman along with local small business owners and they told us loud and clear that they need help," said Rep. Lawrence. "Passing the American Rescue Plan and establishing the Restaurant Revitalization Fund last year were essential, but we need to do more to provide relief. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and our country cannot fully recover if they haven't. This bill takes the necessary actions to help small businesses and restaurants in Michigan and across the country and that is why I have been a strong proponent of replenishing the Restaurant Revitalization Fund."

Established through Democrats' American Rescue Plan, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) distributed $28.6 billion to restaurants across the country -- including $783,906,901 for Michigan businesses. Due to its popularity, the program quickly exhausted its funding before more than 170,000 eligible businesses could access relief. The Relief for Restaurants & Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act will provide $42 billion to replenish the RRF so that these restaurants can apply for this assistance.

This legislation also takes action to support other struggling small businesses:

Providing $13 billion to establish the Hard Hit Industries Award Program, which will assist Michigan small businesses with 200 or fewer employees that have experienced 40 percent or more in lost revenue.
Updating the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program to provide Michigan entertainment venues with more time and flexibility to use federal relief funds.
On March 7th, Rep. Lawrence hosted a roundtable with SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman and women small business owners in southeast Michigan. They discussed the challenges small business owners were facing and what Congress and the SBA could do to help these women and their small businesses succeed.

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