LEGISLATIVE NOTES OUR INDUSTRY NEEDS THE RESTAURANTS ACT TO PASS BY SCOTT STENGER, STENGER GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
to establishments of annual revenues less than $1.5 million. The grant program would be run by the U.S. Treasury, and funds would cover costs such as payroll, rent, supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE). The legislation is drafted to include independent bar and restaurant owners that are not publicly traded, or part of a chain with 20 or more locations doing business under the same name.
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he COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives earlier this year and it could be some time before we get back to a normal lifestyle. The health and safety of everyone continues to be our top priority as we get closer to the distribution of a vaccine. The hospitality industry was especially hard hit, not just in Wisconsin, but across the entire country. According to the Brookings Institute, as of August, average daily revenue was down 47.5% in the leisure and hospitality industry, as compared to 2019. Estimates are that over 420,000 small businesses have failed since the start of the pandemic.
The TLW will continue to fight for our members at the local, state and federal levels to help them through these difficult times. Contact your senators today! Please email or call Sens. Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin to urge them to support the RESTAURANTS bill. Learn more about the bill at abcnews.go.com/GMA/Food/ restaurants-bars-now-included-trillion-federal-aid-proposal/ story?id=73310022. TLW
Every day the hospitality industry is shut down, the U.S. economy loses 16,872 jobs and $923,129,128 in earnings. In Wisconsin, there were 191,000 less people employed in September 2020 than in September 2019, a reduction of 6.4%. There were 16.9 million leisure/hospitality workers in February, which dropped to 8.5 million in April and climbed back to only 13 million, a 17% decline since last year. Small independent tavern, restaurant and supper club owners did not benefit directly from the PPP, and are still waiting for assistance to help them get back on their feet. The hospitality industry did not cause this pandemic, but it hit us especially hard, and the lack of assistance at the federal, state and local levels is extremely disheartening. It didn’t take Congress long to provide $25 billion to the hard-hit airline industry; why can’t it help the small independent businesses in the hospitality industry? The Tavern League is lobbying our federal delegation to pass the Real Economic Support that Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed to Survive (RESTAURANTS) Act, which would establish a $120 billion grant program for independently owned restaurants and bars with priority given www.tlw.org
HOW TO CONTACT SENATORS JOHNSON AND BALDWIN Sen. Ron Johnson (202) 224-5323 ronjohnson.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-the-senator 328 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Sen. Tammy Baldwin (202) 224-5653 baldwin.senate.gov/feedback 709 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2020
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