[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 3, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S2678]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                              RESTART Act

  Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, last week, I traveled around the great 
State of Indiana on my RESTART tour.
  I visited small businesses up and down the State--eight cities, in 
fact--where we have seen so many Hoosiers adversely impacted by this 
pandemic. Like many other States, Indiana is starting to open up our 
economy, and I know so many Hoosiers welcome that. Our Governor, Eric 
Holcomb, has been implementing a five-stage plan for safely reopening 
Indiana's economy.
  The cities on my tour have businesses that are in various stages of 
reopening. Restaurants like Catablu Grille in Fort Wayne, Arni's in 
Lafayette, and Woody's Library in Carmel are open at 50-percent 
capacity right now. The nonprofit Terre Haute Children's Museum remains 
closed, unfortunately, and is struggling to pay its employees. I 
visited Zimmer Biomet Hibbard, which is a medical device company in 
Valparaiso. I enjoyed the tour and visiting with the employees, but I 
discovered that its sales had dropped 95 percent in March. Fortunately, 
it received a Paycheck Protection Program loan, and that enabled it to 
keep all 23 of its employees on the payroll.
  It is clear that we need to continue evaluating additional relief 
measures for small businesses and Indiana's nonprofits. My RESTART Act 
is a viable approach to help keep our hardest hit businesses and 
nonprofits going. The RESTART Act is a bipartisan measure I introduced 
with Senator Bennet. The effort here is to build upon the success of 
the Paycheck Protection Program. We have seen that more than 74,000 
Hoosier businesses have benefited from PPP, with loans totaling nearly 
$9.4 billion in the State of Indiana. Just for context, that is an 
average loan of about $130,000. These are for small businesses like 
those that we see up and down our State.
  The Paycheck Protection Program requires funds to be spent in just 8 
weeks, but most restaurants, gyms, boutiques, and so many other 
businesses were not permitted to be open during part or all of that 8-
week period. So the first part of the RESTART Act merely extends the 
timeframe to 16 weeks for our Nation's hardest hit businesses.
  Secondly, we know that the PPP was meant to be a bridge to reopening 
the economy, but many small businesses have much longer bridges to 
cross. That is why our new RESTART Program would provide loans that 
would cover up to 6 months of payroll and fixed operating expenses. 
That is just for those businesses that have taken a substantial revenue 
hit during this coronavirus pandemic. My RESTART initiative would 
provide needed funds with the flexibility for employers to pay bills 
and to implement social distancing measures, like with those Plexiglas 
dividers I have seen at so many businesses. Most importantly, it would 
bring employees back to work, which is exactly where they want to be.
  Over the last several weeks, I have spoken to more than 22,000 
Hoosiers by using Zoom teleconferencing capabilities, having conference 
calls, and other means. I have to say I am truly inspired by the way 
Hoosiers have come together to help one another during this pandemic. 
Everyone has done his part. Hoosiers want to work, and business owners 
are eager to pay them. The RESTART Act can help make sure this happens, 
and I hope my colleagues will give it strong consideration in the 
coming days
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Senator 
Braun and I be allowed to complete our remarks prior to the rollcall 
votes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.