Majority Leader Schumer Floor Remarks In Support Of Replenishing The Restaurant Revitalization Fund

Washington, D.C. –  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor in support of replenishing the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks:

I thank my good friend from Maryland for offering this unanimous consent request and I strongly and fervently support it. I've been proud to join Senators Cardin and Sinema in leading the fight to provide direct relief to this industry.

We all know restaurants were particularly hard hit during COVID, and the idea that they have all recovered is just so far from the truth. You know, any business where people had to gather were hit hard, hit the hardest. Restaurants at the very top of the list. And they are a lifeblood to our cities and our communities.

They are of course a place where people get food, but they also get community. They join together. They feel roots, whether it's a small town or large city. Restaurants in neighborhood after neighborhood, community after community are often the glue that makes communities stick, and they were hurt.

The funds that we provided provided a lifeline to 100,000 applicants across the country. In my state of New York, $3.6 billion went to 9,775 restaurants. But the job wasn't done. They ran out of money long before restaurants were helped.

And anyone who thinks our restaurants are out of trouble, I just ate at one last night. A Polish couple, Greenpoint – lovely little restaurant. “Are you hurting?” “Yes. We might go under.”

And this story could be repeated in restaurant after restaurant after restaurant. In New York, 27,000 restaurants are waiting in desperation. These are hardworking people, very hardworking people. They struggle, they put their all, their whole heart and soul into the business and provide, as I said, often the glue for our communities.

This legislation is fair; it is smart; it is right. We will get economic payback over and over and over again from keeping these restaurants going because they employ so many people, contract with so many independent suppliers and others. It just makes such sense. It’s almost cruel to tell these restaurants you're on your own now. When through no fault of their own they suffered through with COVID.

So, I strongly support this proposal by Senator Cardin. We're going to keep at it and keep at it and keep at it. Because our restaurants so desperately need the help. It was bipartisan in the past. Let's keep it bipartisan, but let's get the job done. Our restaurants need help and our communities, our cities, our rural towns, our suburbs will be so rewarded when these restaurants are allowed to continue to stay open and to flourish.

I thank the Senator for his leadership.

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