RAM urges members to ask their Members of Congress to reauthorize, expand and fund restoration grant programs aimed at all in-person, consumer serving small businesses—including restaurants, stores, venues, dry cleaners, cobblers, barbers, gyms, etc.
Congress can help Main Street employers rebuild their businesses and serve their communities by replenishing and refocusing the PPP to target in person consumer serving small businesses; as well as by reauthorizing and expanding the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, granting eligibility to small retailers and other in person, consumer serving small businesses to receive RRF grant funding.
Here are three reasons why Congress should expand grant new funding and revise eligibility through the PPP and RRF for small businesses.
- Economic ripple effects of the pandemic have slowed recovery for small retailers, restaurants and other consumer serving, Main Street employers by lowering sales and raising costs.
- Loan and grant programs only covered a fraction of early losses, those grants have been exhausted, yet government restrictions and messaging redirecting consumer spending continue.
- Some small businesses were left behind by prior loan and grant programs, while at the same time some employers operating primarily virtually received aid when they never needed the programs in the first place.
Small retailers, restaurants and other brick and mortar small businesses continue to face challenges that slow their economic recovery, including rising inflation, supply chain backlogs and labor shortages. They deserve continued government investment until the pandemic triggered restrictions and messaging are gone to rebuild their businesses and serve their communities. |
