是否会有额外的COVID-19缓解措施?

With spring in full affect and summer right around the corner, many workers are starting to see a return to “normal” work environments as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic lessens. 

然而, 即使在大流行开始两年之后, 仍有一些行业在努力复苏. Some of them being the businesses we frequent weekly or even daily. 比如零售业和酒店业, 特别是餐厅, 是否因疫情面临前所未有的挑战. 他们继续努力提供财政援助, the House recently approved a new bill that will pump over $50 billion into industries affected by the pandemic. 

This bill includes an additional $42 billion for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The Restaurant Revitalization Fund was created by the American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law in March 2021 and provides funding to help restaurants and other eligible businesses such as bars, 酒店老板, 还有面包店来维持营业. The bill also includes $13 billion for non-industry specific businesses with 200 or fewer employees and each business would be eligible for $1 million each. 虽然这对这些行业来说是个好消息, the bill is unlikely to gain enough support in the divided Senate. 

为了应对潜在的通过困难, the Senate has introduced its own bill that would provide $40 billion to restaurants and $8 billion to various small businesses through the creation or renewal of specific industry funds.

这80亿美元的资金包括: 

• 20亿美元用于健身房
• 20亿美元用于现场活动场地
• 20亿美元用于公共汽车和汽车公司
• $1.4 billion to small business located near border crossings that were closed during the pandemic
• 为小联盟运动队拨款5亿美元.

与众议院的法案类似, $40 billion of restaurant money would go to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund with eligible businesses being those realizing significant losses during the course of the pandemic. 

The fact that the majority of funding from both bills is allocated for the restaurant industry is no accident. As one of the hardest hit industries from the pandemic’s effects, only about one third of restaurants that applied to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund received a portion of the original $28.国会批准了60亿美元. 对于苦苦挣扎的餐馆, either bill would provide additional funding as well as welcomed news after years of hardship.

因为该国正面临创纪录的通货膨胀数字, detractors of the bills point to the potential negative impacts more government spending could have on the economy. 而支持的人, call on Congress to put aside political differences to support not just an industry but local business owners. 

不考虑政治, these bills would have a significant impact across a variety of industries as small business owners look forward to their resolution and possible assistance. 

来源

• http://newjerseymonitor.com/2022/04/12/u-s-lawmakers-look-for-path-ahead-on-billions-in-restaurant-small-business-aid/
• http://www.小企业Management局.gov/funding-programs/loans/covid-19-relief-options/restaurant-revitalization-fund
• http://www.cbsnews.com/news/independent-restaurants-restaurant-revitalization-fund-closing/
• http://www.restaurantdive.com/news/congress-restaurant-revitalization-fund-42b-refill/621652/
• http://www.liherald.com/stories/house-approves-aid-for-restaurants-small-businesses,140087