[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 2, 2021)]
[House]
[Page H886]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   PRIORITIZE SAVE OUR STAGES FUNDING

  (Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak for 
thousands of music venues, movie theaters, and museums that are 
struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Over the past year, Congress has come together in a bipartisan manner 
to pass over $3.5 trillion in pandemic assistance. While much of this 
aid was necessary, government bureaucracy has routinely delayed getting 
this money into the hands of the American people. As of today, there 
are still $1.3 trillion in unspent COVID-19 relief.
  In December, the House passed my bipartisan Save our Stages Act, 
which established the $15 billion Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, 
providing direct relief for music venues, movie theaters, and museums 
devastated by the pandemic. These businesses were the first to close 
and will be some of the last to reopen.
  Nine weeks have passed since President Trump signed this into law, 
and the SBA still has not even produced the application for venue 
owners to apply. At this rate, some grants won't be delivered until 
summer.
  This is unacceptable, and the SBA needs to get to work immediately. 
Every day we wait, there is another door that permanently closes. The 
bottom line is: The shows must go on.
  In God we trust.

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