Congresswoman Elaine Luria Urges House Leadership to Replenish Relief Funds for Local Restaurants

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congresswoman Elaine Luria joined a bipartisan letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy advocating for replenishment of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), a program established in the American Rescue Plan Act to help business hit hard by the pandemic. Earlier this week, Small Business Administrator Isabel Guzman indicated that the RRF received over 360,000 applications requesting $75 billion in funding, exceeding the $28.6 billion originally allocated to the fund. 

“The restaurant industry is an integral part of our Coastal Virginia economy, and it has been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Congresswoman Elaine Luria. “While the Restaurant Revitalization Fund was a necessary step to keep many locally owned restaurants open, it is clear that more relief is necessary. I call on House leadership to bring a bill to the floor that helps the Restaurant Revitalization Fund meet its unprecedented demand.”

Click here to view a full copy of the letter.

As a former small business owner, Congresswoman Luria has been a strong advocate for locally owned businesses during the pandemic. In response to staffing shortages, she recently sent a letter calling on Governor Northam to use funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to step up enforcement of unemployment claims. She also cosponsored the RESTAURANTS Act, which would establish a $120 billion grant fund to distribute forgivable loans to food service, dining establishments, and caterers.

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