A July 15 call to action sent out by the National Restaurant Association calls on Congress to enact a “Blueprint for Restaurant Revival” as members prepare to vote on the final COVID-19 response bill this year.
The message from the NRA begins, “Later this month, Congress will consider their final coronavirus response bill for 2020. From the beginning of this pandemic, the National Restaurant Association has led the charge in Washington for a comprehensive solution for our industry.
“By the thousands, you responded to our recent survey identifying the priorities you need for this industry. You identified a $120 billion recovery fund and a second round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding as the top goals we should pursue in our advocacy agenda.”
Both the entire Blueprint and a summary of the document are available for download on the site, with the summary noting the Association “heard you – and we are proud to release our new Blueprint for Revival for the industry.”
The document, the Association says, “represents a strong, far-reaching plan for how Congress can advance restaurants in every city and town in this country.”
Stats have shown the restaurants “have lost more revenue and jobs than any other industry, but there are a lot of competing interests before Congress.” The Association is “shouting here in Washington, but policymakers need to hear your voice directly.”
A call to action for National Restaurant Association members is also included, and that link is https://mobilize4change.org/JfKG4QW.
Tell Congress to support restaurants and employees. Tell Congress to pass the Blueprint for Restaurant Revival.
The summary, at https://restaurantsact.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/BlueprintforRevivalOnepager_final-1.pdf, notes, “With almost one million foodservice locations nationwide and an employee base of 15.6 million, the restaurant industry is the nation’s second-largest private sector employer. Our record of advancement for people of color, for women, and for minority groups is unmatched by any other industry.”
It continues, “The industry remains a critical part of the food supply chain — a hard-charging engine for the nation’s economy. But an industry that provides the average owner with only 16 days of cash on hand has fought through months-long closures and capacity restrictions to stay open and serve communities. Restaurant industry losses are on track to top $240 billion by the end of 2020 — more than any other industry.”
The Blueprint for Restaurant Revival is meant to guide Congress and the Administration as officials work to craft next- round recovery programs, the summary states. In so doing, it proposes the creation of a “Restaurant Recovery Fund for structured relief to help restaurants get the liquidity they need, adapt, rehire and eventually reopen. This includes passage of the RESTAURANTS Act proposed by the Senate.”
And, it says, Congress should move to “build on the success of PPP by enacting a second round of application eligibility to initial eight-week loan recipients and make other changes to help extend and sustain this successful program…” and make “…PPP loans tax deductible so that small businesses can deduct eligible expenses paid with a forgiven PPP loan, and eliminate the substantial tax liability many face for taking these loans in the first place.”
More information is included in the summary and full Blueprint online https://restaurantsact.com/.
