The House passes the $42 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund replenishment

The House voted yes on a bill Thursday that would fund every operator that originally applied for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The Senate vote is next.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted yes on a bill Thursday that would provide $42 billion in relief to foodservice businesses that originally applied for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and an additional $13 billion to other businesses that were hit hard during the pandemic, including live event venues, gyms, and sports teams. The Senate will soon vote on a similar bill before the Restaurant Revitalization Fund replenishment becomes reality, but will not take up the vote next week, according to Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

The House bill, which was coauthored by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) would serve as a vehicle for accompanying Senate legislation, which would also help fund or extend funding for other hard-hit businesses like theaters and transportation contractors. The legislation would be enough to cover grants requested by the restaurants and bars that applied for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund during the first round of relief last May, of which only one-third of applicants were funded. According to Rep. Blumenauer, businesses will not need to apply again if the legislation passes this time.


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