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WASHINGTON, DC—Congressman Paul D. Tonko voted today to pass H.R. 3807, the Relief for Restaurants & Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act of 2022, legislation that delivers $55 billion to replenish funding for restaurants and small businesses. This action builds on Tonko’s years long push to deliver much-needed assistance to local businesses that have kept the economy going through the pandemic.

“Our local restaurants are an integral part of the fabric of our communities, offering vibrancy, jobs, and economic opportunity throughout our Capital Region and beyond,” Congressman Tonko said. “I met with our restaurateurs during a virtual roundtable discussion and heard the firsthand impacts of the pandemic on the industry. While I’ve worked hard to provide funding to help these local establishments keep their doors open in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more assistance is still needed. That’s why I’m proud to vote to advance this crucial funding at a critical time for our nation’s locally owned restaurants. Investments like these are investments in our nation’s broader economic prosperity, and I urge the Senate to act immediately to ensure our small restaurateurs have the resources they need to continue to serve our communities.”

Congressman Tonko has worked tirelessly over the past two years to secure badly needed funding for restaurants in the Capital Region and across the nation. Tonko cosponsored the RESTAURANTS Act in August 2020 to support local eateries at the height of the pandemic, and enthusiastically supported the inclusion of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) in last year’s American Rescue Plan Act. Through the American Rescue Plan, the RRF delivered more than $70 million to the Capital Region alone, keeping hundreds of local restaurants afloat. This latest tranche of funding will benefit even more local restaurants, ensuring these centers of our communities are able to serve Capital Region residents for generations to come.

The Relief for Restaurants & Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act:

• Provides $42 billion to replenish the RRF, allowing the Small Business Administration to provide support to eligible applicants that were unable to access the RRF after funding ran out.
• Delivers $13 billion to establish the Hard Hit Industries Award Program, which will assist small businesses with 200 or fewer employees that have experienced 40 percent or more in lost revenue.
• Updates the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program to provide New York entertainment venues with more time and flexibility to use federal relief funds.

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