Later this month, Congress will consider their final coronavirus response bill for 2020. From the beginning of this pandemic, the IRA and National Restaurant Association have
led the charge
for a comprehensive solution for our industry. We have made steady progress, but Congress needs to do much more for the nation’s second-largest private-sector employer.
By the thousands, you responded to our survey identifying the priorities you need for this industry. By a 50/50 tie vote, you identified a $120 billion recovery fund and a second round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding as the top goal we should pursue in our advocacy agenda. We are strongly supporting the
RESTAURANTS Act - a $120 billion restaurant recovery fund - proposed by
Senators Wicker and Sinema
in the Senate.
We heard you – and we are proud to release our new
Blueprint for Revival
for the industry.
It represents a strong, far-reaching plan for how Congress can advance restaurants in every city and town in this country.
The Blueprint for Revival includes the following requests for relief:
- Create 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 Senators Wicker and Sinema in the Senate.
- 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.
- 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.
- Establish a long-term loan program beyond PPP so restaurants can rehire, retrain and retain valued employees by providing up to six-months of operating costs and additional support.
- Expand the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) to help restaurants get support after a PPP loan has run out.
- Improve Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) by replenishing funding for EIDLs and advance grants to support businesses with major revenue reductions due to COVID-19.
- Provide customer and employee wellness tax credits to help with significant capital investments for employee and guest safety.
- Address Business Interruption insurance claims for small businesses with a federal backstop to cover losses due to a pandemic and so that insurance remains available and affordable.
- Provide Liability Protection for American Businesses
- Prioritize testing + vaccine distribution for food supply chain employees (after health care, first responders and vulnerable populations) to help the entire food and restaurant industry continue growing, selling and serving healthy food even in times of crisis.
- Enact payroll tax relief for essential employees to help keep frontline workers in vital sectors on the job and serving the public.
- Provide support for restaurants feeding vulnerable populations by providing incentives and payment when restaurants partner with government and nonprofits to prepare meals for seniors, children and other vulnerable populations.
- Broaden access to restaurant meals for low-income Americans by creating state-run programs that increase food access-points during times of crisis and by expanding the population of people eligible for restaurant meal service via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Restaurants have lost more revenue and jobs
than any other industry
, but there are a lot of competing interests before Congress. Illinois' Congressional leaders need to hear your voice directly.
Tell Congress to support restaurants and employees. Tell Congress to pass the Blueprint for Restaurant Revival.
We have given Congress a roadmap for action – that calls for either enacting our Restaurant Recovery Fund or implement a targeted second-round of PPP for our industry – as well as other asks that will allow us to keep our doors open for the long haul, and serve the communities we call home. We need your support to bring this effort over the finish line.
Please
take action
to share your story and lend your voice to this campaign. Every voice counts.
