WASHINGTON – Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema spoke during a Senate Banking Committee hearing to highlight her bipartisan RESTAURANTS Act.
“Arizonans expect Congress to do more than cross their fingers and hope. That’s why last June, I teamed up with Senator Wicker from Mississippi to introduce the RESTAURANTS Act. Our bill establishes a Restaurant Rescue Plan to provide our local restaurants the funding to rehire workers and stay afloat during this pandemic,” said Sinema.
Before the pandemic hit, Arizona small businesses employed 1.6 million workers—more than half of the state’s workforce—and created $71.3 billion in Arizona wages and income annually. However, the coronavirus pandemic has left Arizona small businesses struggling to keep their doors open. The Paycheck Protection Program, which Sinema supported, was a lifeline for Arizona small businesses, but many local restaurants weren’t able to benefit from the program. That’s why Sinema is partnering with Republican Senator Roger Wicker (Miss.) to pass the RESTAURANTS Act.
On February 4, the U.S. Senate voted to endorse Sinema’s Restaurant Rescue Plan by a broad, bipartisan margin of 90 to 10 as part of upcoming coronavirus relief legislation. Sinema is working with leaders in the House and Senate to get the RESTAURANTS Act signed into law.
