restaurants act

U.S. Senate Passes Restaurant Relief Plan Crafted by Rep. Earl Blumenauer

On Saturday, the Senate passed a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package, $28.6 billion of which is earmarked specifically for the beleaguered restaurant industry—a provision based on legislation introduced by Blumenauer last year.

The U.S. Senate Has Voted in Support of a Restaurant Relief Fund During Pandemic Budget Negotiations

Today, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved a budget amendment that would provide much-needed relief for the food and beverage industry. In a 90-10 vote, lawmakers passed the Restaurant Rescue Plan, which is based on the original Restaurant Act originally introduced by Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer last June. The strong show of support for the amendment, proposed by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Sen. Krysten Sinema (D-Ariz.), is an important milestone since the vote is the first getting senators strongly in favor of a dedicated restaurant relief fund.

Restaurants and Bars Should See Some Assistance From the Congressional COVID-19 Relief Package

After a seven-month long stalemate, Congressional Republicans and Democrats appear to have reached an agreement on a COVID-19 relief package—which includes some much-needed money directed at bars and restaurants. U.S. Rep Earl Blumenauer has been pushing Congress for months to pass the Restaurants Act, which he originally introduced, in order to help those small businesses in ways the Paycheck Protection Program fell short. Senate Republicans blocked the inclusion of a revitalization fund for independent restaurants in the latest relief bill. But Congressman Blumenauer, a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee, did manage to secure several changes to the PPP, which should improve it for food and drink establishments, which have been devastated by pandemic restrictions.

The Senate Has Released More Details About a Pandemic Relief Package. Rep. Earl Blumenauer Says It’s Not Enough.

Restaurants are looking for a Christmas miracle from Congress, but as a bipartisan group of senators released new details about a $908 billion dollar pandemic relief package it appeared that industry was once again being left out in the cold. The proposal, which was originally introduced Dec. 1, will now be divided in half so that they can be voted on separately. One plan includes $748 billion for small businesses, the unemployed and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines. The other offers $160 billion for state and local governments as well as controversial, and Republican-favored, liability protection for companies that might face pandemic-related lawsuits. Despite those sizable dollar amounts, Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer is criticizing the bills for not doing enough for food and beverage establishments.

The Latest National Restaurant Association Survey Shows the Industry Is Quickly Collapsing

The National Restaurant Association has completed its latest survey on the economic health of the industry, and the findings are devastating: 110,000 food and drink establishments have closed across the nation. That’s 10,000 more since the trade group conducted its last questionnaire in August.

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer’s Federal Relief Bill for Independent Restaurants Inches Closer to a Vote

Today, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer announced that his federal relief bill, which would provide tens of billions of dollars to independent food and drink establishments, should be voted on as early as this week by the U.S. House of Representatives as part of a broader COVID-19 relief package. Blumenauer, who is a senior member of the Ways and Means Committee, was joined at a news conference by a couple of the city’s well-known chefs, Naomi Pomeroy of Beast and Han Oak owner Peter Cho, as well as Erika Polmar, chief operating officer of the Independent Restaurant Coalition.

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