Rep. Brown Votes for Additional Relief for Northeast Ohio’s Restaurants and Small Businesses

WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Shontel M. Brown (OH-11) supported House passage of the Relief for Restaurants & Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act, a bill to provide relief to restaurants, food and beverage businesses, and other small businesses hit hard by the pandemic. 

“Ohio’s nearly 1 million small businesses are critical to our economy, employing nearly half of all workers state-wide,” said Rep. Brown.  “The American Rescue Plan helped thousands of small businesses survive and ensured their employees could support their families. This bill would build on that success by giving eligible restaurants another shot at accessing relief and establishing a new program to support Northeast Ohio’s hardest-hit small businesses. Supporting our restaurants, concert venues, and small businesses is critical to making 2022 another year of recovery and record growth.” 

Established by the American Rescue Plan, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) distributed $28.6 billion to restaurants across the country, including$586 million for 2,844 Ohio businesses. Due to its popularity, the program quickly exhausted its funding before more than 170,000 eligible businesses could access relief.  The Relief for Restaurants & Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act will provide $42 billion to replenish the RRF.

The legislation also provides $13 billion to establish the Hard Hit Industries Award Program, which would assist small businesses with 200 or fewer employees that have experienced 40 percent or more in lost revenue. And it updates the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program to provide entertainment venues with more time and flexibility to use federal relief funds.

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