Washington, D.C. —  Today, Reps. Dean Phillips (D-MN) and Mike Quigley (D-IL) led a letter to Congressional leadership calling for the inclusion of much-needed relief for the country’s hardest-hit small businesses in the upcoming COVID supplemental bill.

The letter, which was signed by 42 of their colleagues, specifically mentions the restaurant, fitness, hospitality, live events, and travel industries as sectors of the economy disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

“It is not enough to pay lip service to small businesses. Congress must rise to the occasion with fierce urgency and do everything in our power to maintain the strength of our small business ecosystem,” the lawmakers said in the letter. “Doing so requires swift action to address the gaps created by previous pandemic relief programs, with a focus on small businesses in the hardest-hit industries. Failing to include relief for struggling small businesses at this critical juncture is tantamount to turning a blind eye not only to these businesses but also to the workers they employ and the local communities that depend on them as well.”

In 2020, federal relief efforts like the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) helped countless small businesses survive the pandemic, saving millions of jobs and helping better position our economy for a post-pandemic recovery.

However, many small businesses – especially those that rely on in-person gathering – either exhausted their aid long ago or received none at all, and they are experiencing a recovery that continues to be slower than the recovery of our nation’s overall economy.

Now, tens of thousands of the country’s small businesses still face the possibility of outright closure for circumstances largely out of their control, barring additional federal relief.

“We remain optimistic and stand ready to work with you on supplemental legislation to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we would be hesitant to support such legislation if it did not include critical relief for our nation’s hardest-hit small businesses,” the lawmakers said. “Without relief, every passing day is nothing short of willingly allowing our districts’ small businesses to close their doors that – outside of the economic havoc of a global pandemic – would remain open.”

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