[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 61 (Wednesday, April 6, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4229-H4236]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 3807, RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION
FUND REPLENISHMENT ACT OF 2021, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I
call up House Resolution 1033 and ask for its immediate consideration.
The Clerk read the resolution, as follows:
H. Res. 1033
Resolved, That upon adoption of this resolution it shall be
in order to consider in the House the bill (H.R. 3807) to
amend the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to increase
appropriations to the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and for
other purposes. All points of order against consideration of
the bill are waived. An amendment in the nature of a
substitute consisting of the text of Rules Committee Print
117-39, modified by the amendment printed in the report of
the Committee on Rules accompanying this resolution, shall be
considered as adopted. The bill, as amended, shall be
considered as read. All points of order against provisions in
the bill, as amended, are waived. The previous question shall
be considered as ordered on the bill, as amended, and on any
further amendment thereto, to final passage without
intervening motion except: (1) one hour of debate equally
divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Small Business or their respective
designees; and (2) one motion to recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from New York is recognized
for 1 hour.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the
customary 30 minutes to the gentlewoman from Minnesota (Mrs.
Fischbach), my colleague and friend, pending which I yield myself such
time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all
time yielded is for the purpose of debate only.
General Leave
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members be
given 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, this morning the Rules Committee met and
reported a rule, House Resolution 1033, providing for consideration of
H.R. 3807, the Relief for Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small
Businesses Act of 2022 under a closed rule.
The rule provides 1 hour of debate equally divided and controlled by
the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on Small
Business, self-executes a manager's amendment from Chairwoman
Velazquez, and provides one motion to recommit.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to adopt the rule and
support critical funding for restaurants and other small businesses
across our Nation.
As we all know, small businesses--especially restaurants--are the
backbone of our local economy. Not only for the revenue they bring in,
but for the many local workers they employ; families that need their
paycheck now more than ever. But sadly, restaurants have been some of
the hardest-hit businesses throughout the COVID-19 crisis, and many
have struggled to keep their doors open.
Many of us have made a promise to support workers, families, and
businesses in their time of need, and that is why we established the
Restaurant Revitalization Fund in the American Rescue Plan, which
provided $28.6 billion in emergency assistance to eligible restaurants,
bars, and qualifying businesses impacted by the COVID crisis.
This program was clearly a success, providing relief to more than
100,000 restaurants and food and beverage businesses across the Nation.
Some recent estimates show the program saved over 900,000 jobs, and 96
percent of recipients said the grant made it more likely they would
stay in business.
However, there is no question that our initial investment was not
enough. The program ran out of funds in just 3 weeks, as the total
funding requested exceeded $72 billion, far more than the $28.6 billion
provided for in the American Rescue Plan.
[[Page H4230]]
This funding gap resulted in 178,000 restaurants who are unable to
secure funding in this program, even though they applied to the program
and met all of the eligibility requirements. Let me say that again,
178,000 restaurants, many of which are in danger of permanent closure
if Congress does not provide them with the relief they need.
The underlying legislation, the Relief for Restaurants and other Hard
Hit Businesses Act, would provide for $42 billion to replenish the
Restaurant Revitalization Fund, giving the Small Business
Administration the funding necessary to close this funding gap and
process the applications of those entities who are deemed eligible in
the initial application period, providing a lifeline for the restaurant
industry that has faced so many challenges over the past 2 years.
In addition to this critical funding, the underlying legislation also
provides $13 billion for a new Hard Hit Industries Award Program, which
will grant much-needed relief to other small businesses across
industries and sectors that were the hardest hit by the pandemic but
were not eligible for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund or Shuttered
Venue Operators Grant program.
This new program would prioritize those eligible small businesses
that experience the heaviest pandemic-related losses, beginning with
those that lost 80 percent of their revenue.
To pay for both the establishment of the new program and the
replenishment of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, this bill would
use funds reclaimed, seized, or returned to the Federal Government from
bad actors attempting to defraud previous recovery programs.
Back in October 2020, the Small Business Administration Office of the
Inspector General had already identified $78 billion in potentially
fraudulent loans and grants to ineligible entities, and more than 300
individuals have been brought to justice. This legislation also
increases oversight and audit requirements, ensuring that this
additional support goes to the businesses originally intended to
receive assistance.
Mr. Speaker, I have always been an advocate of additional support for
the restaurant and hospitality industry, and many of my colleagues on
the other side of the aisle have demonstrated support for the
Restaurant Revitalization Fund, as well. I hope we continue to see
bipartisan support for this effort on the House floor.
I urge all of my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying
legislation to deliver critical funding for restaurants and small
businesses in communities across the country.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York for
yielding me the customary 30 minutes, and, Mr. Speaker, I yield myself
such time as I may consume.
Today, we are here to consider a rule providing for consideration of
H.R. 3807, the Relief for Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small
Businesses Act.
This legislation gives a check to the Small Business Administration
without accountability or oversight mechanisms or even taking into
account SBA's feedback.
Mr. Speaker, this bill appropriates an additional $55 billion to
restaurants and small businesses, none of which is paid for. According
to the Congressional Budget Office, as much as $340 billion in
unobligated funds from various COVID relief legislation is available
for expenditure, but we are not reallocating those. Instead, we would
be relying on more deficit spending to provide these sums.
Structurally, this bill is not going to work. This is a lot of money,
and it seems that Democrats just want to throw it to the wind, because
when you look at how the funds are being distributed, this bill will
not fix the problem. This is something that could have been addressed
had the bill gone through the committee process.
Because this bill is not immediately or responsibly paid for, it
would further fuel the inflation crisis, which currently sits at a 40-
year high of 7.9 percent. Inflation is the number one problem facing
small businesses, according to them. That is what they are saying.
Instead of pushing through drastic increases of inflation-inducing
deficit spending, we must work together to advance progrowth policies
that empower small businesses to operate independently without
burdensome restrictions.
I need to point out the political game Democrats are playing this
session. They are proposing bills that have titles that make them seem
like commonsense bills, but really, they are disingenuous attempts to
fix real problems.
This was true of last week's insulin bill, and it is true of this
bill. What is worse is they know that they are not coming up with real
solutions. That is why we are now looking at yet another bill that has
not been through the committee process, there has been no transparency,
no opportunity to discuss, no public or minority input, and has real
flaws as a result that will only exacerbate the problems my colleagues
have created. My Democratic colleagues do not want to negotiate with
Republicans or allow any input from anyone to come up with a bill that
would actually help people.
It is also why my colleagues did not take up the ENTREE Act, which
was introduced last summer, at a time when restaurants really needed
it. That bill was also aimed at helping restaurants and small
businesses recover from the damage done by the pandemic with proper
oversight and constraints and didn't include discriminatory language
that prioritized certain groups based on criteria other than need. That
eventually, the Supreme Court had to put a stop to.
Now, we need to be focusing on the crises that are going on that are
going to become problems for restaurants this year: workforce and
inflation. We are still seeing ``help wanted'' signs all over the
country. Businesses are desperate for a workforce. Congress needs to
stop paying people to stay at home and encourage them to work. And
inflation is hitting every single corner of the economy. Between
increasing prices on all goods, and the effects we are already starting
to feel in the food industry from the Russian invasion of Ukraine,
consumers are going to start feeling the pain. And, unfortunately, when
you are trying to save money, going out to eat is not one of the first
things a family typically does. We need to be getting ahead of these
issues, not coming up with insincere attempts under the guise of COVID
relief.
Mr. Speaker, I oppose the rule and the underlying bill, and I ask
Members to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I always appreciate hearing from my colleagues and a distinguished
member of the Rules Committee, Mrs. Fischbach. I do note, however, a
couple of things before I yield some time.
The first is that as it relates to how the bill is funded, as I
indicated, the inspector general himself, that office, indicated there
is $78 billion in fraudulent claims that are being recouped by the
Federal Government. This bill will cost $42 billion for the Restaurant
Revitalization Fund replenishment, another $13 billion, $55 billion.
There is plenty of money in those reclaimed dollars to be able to pay
for this without having to appropriate new dollars. So this actually
should be in line with the principles of some of our more conservative
Members to have claimed dollars that are owed to the United States and
to its taxpayers.
Secondly, as it relates to workforce shortages, and I think we all
know in every industry, and the businesses I talk to back home, are
struggling to find workers. Yet, I note yesterday in the Education and
Labor Committee, of which I am a member, that we didn't get a single
Republican vote for the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act,
WIOA's reauthorization, which will do great things to continue to move
people into the workplace as quickly as possible. Yet, we received no
support for that.
So we are going to continue to work on these issues here in this
Congress. We are going to continue to lead. This majority is going to
continue to look out for small businesses, it is going to continue to
look out for people looking for work, and it is going to continue to
look out for employers who face worker shortages. So we will continue
to support this, and I believe this bill will be a great victory for
the 178,000 restaurants who desperately need our support.
[[Page H4231]]
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from
California (Mr. DeSaulnier), a fellow member of the Rules Committee.
{time} 1600
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend and colleague
for yielding. And I also want to thank my distinguished colleagues on
both sides for the conversation at the Rules Committee.
I want to speak for a few moments, Mr. Speaker, as somebody who has
spent 35 years in the restaurant business, owning and managing
restaurants in California, small businesses that were vital to the
communities where they were; and how important they are to restart Main
Street America in every district; the multipliers of having restaurants
open, and the difficulty and the cash flow of a small business like
this, and why this initiative is so important.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that in 2019, there were
12.1 million people employed in the restaurant and food service
industry. So many of those people immediately lost their jobs and their
incomes with no warning when the pandemic hit. In April of 2020 alone,
the restaurant industry lost 5\1/2\ million jobs.
Through the American Rescue Plan, we established the Restaurant
Revitalization Fund, which provided $28.6 billion in emergency
assistance to eligible restaurants, bars, and qualifying businesses
impacted by the pandemic.
Although this program helped more than 100,000 restaurants and food
and beverage businesses across the country, in every district, the
program received applications of nearly three times the amount of money
that it had to give out. We cannot overlook the obvious need.
The Relief for Restaurants and Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act,
H.R. 3807, would inject $42 billion to allow the Small Business
Administration to process the applications of over 150,000 eligible
entities that previously applied for relief.
I met and talked to many of my former colleagues in the business who
have applied for these funds and they speak very positively about their
experience and how helpful it was to get them through the pandemic. It
helps these small businesses. Through the pandemic, at least 40 percent
of pandemic-related revenue loss was suffered by businesses with fewer
than 200 employees.
Again, as a former restaurant owner myself, I have seen how
restaurants can bring communities together. We owe it to these local
business entrepreneurs, these owners, and millions of workers who
depend on this help, to pass this important bill.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I would just like to mention, we continue to talk about whether or
not this is paid for. I respectfully ask: Where is the CBO score? That
would answer the question if we actually had done any--put this
legislation through any kind of process, through committee, getting the
CBO score.
So I would question as to whether or not it was actually all paid
for, as my colleague mentions. But I do think that if we had the CBO
score, we could decide, finally, if it was paid for or not.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Roy).
Mr. ROY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
I completely agree that we should be trying to help small businesses
who have gotten absolutely railroaded and run over by the power of
government, which amounts to, essentially, a taking. They have had
their livelihoods taken away through the sheer power of government,
Federal, State and local. It is absolutely extraordinary.
It is one of the reasons that I worked with my friend, Dean Phillips,
on the other side of the aisle, on the PPP Flexibility Act 2 years ago.
I would have preferred we not go down this road; that the government
not go down and shut down our economy. But the government did. And I
think that amounts to something akin to a taking.
But now, here we sit and, yet again, my colleagues on the other side
of the aisle have not met an issue that they can't make worse; and that
is what we are faced with right now.
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues are bringing forward a $55 billion bill
which they say is paid for, which is paid for and relies on recaptured,
fraudulent relief funds. We have fraudulent relief funds because you
just dumped $2 trillion out in the economy when you came in here and
did it by voice vote 2 years ago.
So you have got these fraudulent funds that we may or may not
recapture that is, allegedly, what is paying for this. This bill should
be fully paid for out of existing COVID money that has not yet been
spent. And that is what we are offering as an alternative.
But the real problem that the American people need to understand that
my colleagues have got themselves in a pretty vicious box, is because
the administration, with the full support of my colleagues here, made
the allocation of dollars race-based. They made it criteria-based. And
they got slapped down by the court. They got slapped down by the Sixth
Circuit.
The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals found race and sex prioritization
was unconstitutional and ordered the Small Business Administration to
halt the practice. But most of the funding had been spent. It was
underfunded. But most of that funding had been spent.
The court said: ``The case is about whether the government can
allocate limited coronavirus relief funds based on the race and sex of
the applicants. We hold that it cannot.
``The stark realities of the Small Business Administration's racial
gerrymandering are inescapable.'' ``It is indeed `a sordid business'. .
. . ``quoting our Chief Justice John Roberts, `` . . . `a sordid
business' to divide `us up by race.' '' ``And the government's attempt
to do so here violates the Constitution.''
That is the real story. I have introduced the Restaurant
Revitalization Fund Fairness Act. We have got other bills on this side
of the aisle that would pay for it; that would ensure that it won't be
race-based; that would make sure that the 177,000 applicants who were
left on the outside looking in because of race-based governing by my
colleagues on the other side of the aisle, that that would not occur;
and that, again--I want to reiterate--should be paid for without
relying on the possibility of collecting the fraudulent expenditures.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I want to just reiterate, this is really a simple issue. And there
may be attempts to distract from what is a simple issue, but the Office
of Inspector General indicated that we had $78 billion in fraudulent
claims. That is an estimate. Some estimates range as high as $200
billion.
It seems silly to me that we wouldn't take advantage of those dollars
which are being reclaimed to continue to try to get relief for the
many, many tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of restaurants and
their employees across the country.
And I dare say that when I talk to--I have sat down with many, many
restaurant owners in the last several months who had made application,
and, simply, didn't have the resources in the fund that we had
allocated to get relief, continue to talk to me about this.
So this is really a very, very simple question. I know there are a
lot of complicated, nuanced questions around here in Congress that we
are always dealing with. This is a simple one: Do we want to help these
small businesses, or do we choose not to help them? And I think we
would argue here that they very much deserve and merit this support.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina
(Ms. Ross), another distinguished member of the Rules Committee.
Ms. ROSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to highlight the urgent need for
additional relief for our restaurants.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, restaurants in my district and
across the country have been at the front line of our battle against
COVID-19.
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund offered a vital lifeline at a time
when restaurants desperately needed our help. However, the funds
quickly ran out, leaving hundreds of thousands of restaurants without
any relief, including in my State of North Carolina.
In a cruel twist, many restaurants were approved for funding, but
never saw a dime.
[[Page H4232]]
For example, Kim Hammer, who owns Bittersweet in Raleigh, was
approved for a grant by the Small Business Association. Despite this,
Kim still hasn't received any relief and said, ``It feels like no one
is listening.''
Well, we are listening. Every time a new variant emerges and cases
surge, the survival of countless restaurants is thrown into jeopardy.
As I hear from restaurant owners in my district, they all tell me how
essential the restaurant relief program was; but that it simply was not
enough.
During the peak surge of the Omicron variant, Cheetie Kumar, the
owner of Garland restaurant in Raleigh, said she just hoped she could
keep the doors open for both her customers and for her staff.
Jennifer Cramer, the owner of Catalan Taps restaurant in Cary, had to
start a GoFundMe campaign to keep her lights on and her employees on
payroll.
Mr. Speaker, our fight against this pandemic is not over. It is
unacceptable that we would leave the restaurant industry out to dry.
Restaurants contribute to the spirit, vibrancy, and success of my
community in Wake County, North Carolina, and many communities all
across this Nation.
I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying
legislation and replenish this fund.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
If we defeat the previous question, I will offer an amendment to the
rule to provide for consideration of Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers and
Congressman Westerman's American Energy Independence from Russia Act.
Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of my
amendment in the Record, along with the extraneous material,
immediately prior to the vote on the previous question.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Carson). Is there objection to the
request of the gentlewoman from Minnesota?
There was no objection.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, for the fifth time, Republicans ask
their colleagues to consider this bill. The average price at the pump
two days before President Biden took office was $2.38 per gallon. They
have been steadily climbing ever since.
On February 14, 6 days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the
average price for per gallon was $3.49. These prices are affecting
every single American.
When adjusted for the increasing prices on all goods, thanks to
failed Democrat policies, wages and salaries are below pre-pandemic
levels. My constituents are pleading with Congress to focus on this
issue and are being ignored by the out-of-touch majority.
Now, for the fifth time, House Republicans are urging the majority to
immediately bring relief at the pump now. While my colleagues continue
to bring flawed, misguided, and unvetted legislation to the floor,
House Republicans stand ready to work on issues that directly affect
American's pocketbooks.
To further explain the amendment, I yield 4 minutes to the
gentlewoman from Florida (Mrs. Cammack).
Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend from the
great State of Minnesota for yielding.
I rise today to defeat the previous question so that we may
immediately consider H.R. 6858, Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers' bill,
that would strengthen United States energy security, encourage and
promote domestic production of crude oil and natural gas, and help
return to and solidify American energy independence.
You know, I get asked all the time, why? Why will Congress do nothing
to lower the cost of fuel? Why do they continue to talk and do
absolutely nothing?
Well, right here--right here is your answer. Today, Republicans
stand, for the fifth time, legislation Today, Republicans stand, for
the fifth time, legislation in hand, to bring gas prices down and to
restart our energy production right here at home; legislation that
would make us energy independent, once again, and that would get
thousands of Americans back to work; legislation that would be a
collective sigh of relief for our seniors, and those on fixed incomes,
who are making the decision between gas or groceries. This legislation
is the answer, and it is ready to go.
But you know what? My colleagues on the other side of the aisle have
already been given vote recommendations by the Speaker of the House to
shoot this legislation down. They haven't even read it. They haven't
even read it, and they are so blind to and beholden to their radical
agenda that they won't consider a commonsense solution to one of the
most pressing issues facing all of our collective constituents, these
fuel prices.
Again, this is the fifth time that this legislation has been
presented, and it is the fifth time that my colleagues on the other
side of the aisle have put Russia first and America last.
The average price of gas today is $4.56 and climbing. For our
truckers and farmers who fuel up on diesel, like many in my district,
it is costing them well over $5 a gallon at the pump. In fact, it is
$5.19 today for a gallon of diesel.
All across our country, Americans, regardless of party, are making
decisions, again, between gas in the tank or groceries in the fridge.
Folks are canceling their first road trip with their family in 2 years,
or visits to grandparents, because Biden has decided that Americans who
put fuel in their own gas tanks and shop for their own groceries, they
are not the priority.
{time} 1615
In fact, just 17 hours ago, the Biden administration was more
concerned with presenting former President Barack Obama with a
ceremonial pen than talking about how we are going to bring down fuel
prices in this country. You want to talk about out of touch. There it
is in a nutshell.
This is the Biden energy policy: soaring prices that hurt hardworking
Americans and increasing reliance on foreign countries to meet our
energy needs.
We know that America's future will not be realized by sunshine and
pinwheels. We will realize it by boosting domestic production and
ending our dependence on countries that don't have our best interests
in mind. Heck, they don't even like us.
I have spoken to foresters and farmers in my district who have told
me that energy costs alone are driving them out of operation and out of
business. To illustrate this, one of the top timber producers in my own
district said he is spending $18,000 more a week on fuel costs alone.
If this continues, he will be suspending operations, all because this
administration has issued our domestic energy industry a death
sentence. That happened even before they took office.
This Biden energy plan, or lack thereof, is ruining the financial
hopes and dreams of hardworking Americans and destroying farmers,
foresters, families, ranchers, and small businesses.
We know that we can put an end to this energy crisis. We know we can,
but instead, we are focused on ceremonial pens and issues that do not
matter to the American people.
It is long past time that we end this energy crisis and put American
energy security and independence at the top of the priority list. I
stand before this body and the American people to say that we, too,
have had enough.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to defeat the previous question so
we can immediately bring Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers' legislation to
the floor.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, frankly, I am a little perplexed. I think when I get
home and talk to my restaurant owners, they are going to say: Why were
you having a conversation about something not related to the restaurant
revitalization act?
I will explain to them that as much as I would like to get into a
conversation about how Putin's aggressive actions in Ukraine have
affected gas prices around the world, as much as I would like to have
the conversation about oil companies that have decided to continue to
reap record profits and not increase supply to meet the demand around
the world, as much as we can talk about all those things, that is not
why we are here today. We should have that conversation in an
appropriate venue.
[[Page H4233]]
This conversation and the venue right now that we are in is to talk
about the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. It is to talk about the
178,000 restaurants owned by Republicans, Democrats, and Independents
all across America in every single district that we have the privilege
of representing.
Every single district has restaurants, and that is what we are here
to talk about: how to get relief into the hands of those individuals
who, for 2 years, have struggled under the most difficult economic
circumstances any of us could ever imagine.
Let's make sure we keep our eye on the ball. Let's continue to focus
on the question in front of the House.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania
(Ms. Scanlon), my friend and distinguished member of the Rules
Committee.
Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, in southeastern Pennsylvania, and in cities
and towns across the country, restaurants are an essential cornerstone
of our local communities and our regional economies. These restaurants
were hard-hit by the pandemic.
Despite the excellence of their cuisine, over the past 2 years, many
independent restaurants in Philly, Delaware County, and Montgomery
County struggled to stay in business, and some permanently shuttered.
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, passed as part of the American
Rescue Plan, was a lifeline for the restaurants that received it. The
program provided grants targeted to the hardest-hit restaurants, giving
restaurant operators financial relief to keep their doors open and keep
people employed.
The funds weren't enough to match the need. I have heard it from my
constituents, and everybody who is listening has heard it from their
constituents. While roughly 300,000 restaurants applied for aid, only
about 100,000 received grants.
For months, I have joined Representative Blumenauer and my colleagues
in calling to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, using only
funds recouped from fraudulent claims that have been made in earlier
small business relief programs. The Relief for Restaurants and other
Hard Hit Small Businesses Act will provide additional financial support
to restaurants and small businesses in the industries that are still
grievously affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr. Speaker, I am glad this needed bill is getting a vote on the
floor. I strongly support the rule and its underlying legislation, and
I urge all of my colleagues to recognize that this issue is still
before us and to do the same.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that my colleague from New York would love
to have the conversation, would love to have the conversation in the
appropriate venue, and I think we would also love to have that
conversation, particularly in a committee if we could hear the bill.
But the majority has chosen to shut out almost every single Republican
bill and not hold hearings where that would be the appropriate venue.
For now, I suggest to my colleague from New York that he talk to his
leadership about actually hearing this bill in committee, having the
conversation, and having the transparency and the input that we could
from the public. Until that time, Mr. Speaker, this is our venue.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr.
Carl).
Mr. CARL. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the previous question
so we can amend the rules to immediately consider H.R. 6858, the
American Energy Independence from Russia Act.
My friends from the other side of the aisle want to talk about
restaurants, and restaurants are very important, but understand that
when families can't put fuel in their tank, they certainly cannot
afford to eat in a restaurant.
We have to get our priorities straight. Yes, we are bringing them up
now because we cannot get our bills to the floor. We cannot get our
message out.
This is the fourth time the Republicans have tried to bring this bill
up for a vote, and each time, the Democrats have refused.
Families are suffering as rising fuel costs are making everything
much, much more expensive, including bread, clothes, and everything,
including meals at our restaurants.
President Biden's so-called solutions do nothing to fix the problems.
Tapping into our strategic reserves will do almost nothing to bring
prices down. All it does is risk our reserves and endanger our national
security.
This administration is signaling to the oil and gas companies that
they are going to come after them.
Big Government needs to get out of the way. Get out of the way of the
businesses, and let the businesses run themselves.
For example, where I am from on the Gulf Coast, the Department of the
Interior has allowed one lease sale in the past year and a half. Under
Trump, we had two a year. We had the one sale that I am talking about
in a year and a half.
The Biden administration refuses to uphold the law of two per year,
even though the courts struck down the one that he had. He refuses to
challenge that to get those lease bids acknowledged.
Biden, what he has said is a lie. I am sorry, it is an outright lie
about what the drilling companies are. There are so many rules and
regulations on the drilling companies. I understand it. We have to get
the foot of the government off the back of the necks of our drilling
companies.
Let's save this country. Let's don't give it away to Russia. Let's
don't give it away to Venezuela. Let's stand firm and be Americans,
both sides of the aisle here. I am sorry, I will cool off here on this
one.
Republicans have a real solution to get American energy back on the
market and get prices down. This bill will restart the Keystone XL; it
will end the moratorium; and it will boost the LNG exports.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote on the previous question.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to refrain from
engaging in personalities toward the President.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I do want to just correct the record as it relates to
the Energy and Commerce Committee. I think, just this morning, the
committee held a hearing with the heads of oil companies, multinational
oil companies, to bring them in to talk about why they refuse to
increase supply, which would bring down the costs.
I didn't do exceptionally well in economics when I was in the State
University of New York, but I do remember the old supply and demand
issue. When demand is high and supply is low, prices rise. We are going
to continue to work and push and urge those companies to increase
supply to meet demand and bring the costs down.
There is not much we can do about what is going on in Ukraine,
although we are desperately trying to help our brothers and sisters
there defend their democracy, which has had an incredible impact on gas
prices.
Let me also remind everyone who is tuning in, who is watching what is
going on, that the issue before the House of Representatives today, the
rule that is being considered, is dealing with the difficulties that
have been faced by restaurants across this country during the pandemic,
which has now lasted for nearly 2 years: the displacement of workers
and the impact that it has had on communities all across this country.
We are striving to achieve a solution here that will be good for
everyone across all 50 States and these small businesses that continue
to be the backbone of our local economies.
Mr. Speaker, I have been very grateful for the leadership of Mr.
Blumenauer, who has led the charge on this issue for some time now. I
think I have probably bothered him dozens of times to ask what we can
continue to do to advance his efforts, and he has continued to provide
leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr.
Blumenauer), the sponsor of this bill.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy
and I appreciate his leadership and tenacity in terms of trying to help
our beleaguered neighborhood restaurants.
Mr. Speaker, our friends on the other side of the aisle--even if they
got their dream piece of legislation--would not
[[Page H4234]]
make any difference on the price of gasoline this year or next year. We
are dealing with global supply. One of the things that will make a
difference to break the grip that we have with the oligarchs and the
sheikhs is being able to deal with renewable energy that is not going
to hold us hostage.
We have seen remarkable progress that is made. I am sad that our
friends on the other side of the aisle have been resistant to these
innovations in terms of solar, wind, electrification, the things that
will really make a difference today and tomorrow and help fight the
crisis that we face with climate change and global warming.
This legislation will make a difference to 177,000 small neighborhood
restaurants and other distressed businesses. From the beginning of the
COVID-19 pandemic, these neighborhood facilities have been the hardest
hit. You have heard already that they were subject to over 4 million
jobs lost in the first few months of the pandemic.
The unemployment in the restaurant industry remains stubbornly high,
and approximately 90,000 restaurants have permanently closed since the
start of the pandemic. We have heard from countless others that are
teetering on the edge.
Restaurants are the cornerstone of a livable community. They have
employed nearly 60 percent of Americans at some point in their career.
I would venture to say that many of us on the floor of the House have
had that experience. They are a major source of employment for people
of color and women, and they support a $1 trillion supply chain from
farm to table.
The Federal Government has provided help for those institutions
through the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a program based on my
RESTAURANTS Act that I introduced in June of 2020, but the program was
oversubscribed and underfunded. Only one-third of all applicants were
funded, leaving 177,000 hanging in the balance.
The relief for restaurants and other hard-hit small businesses will
finish that job. More than 235 Members of the House are cosponsors of
this legislation, the RESTAURANTS Act, including two dozen of my
Republican colleagues.
My legislation will provide $42 billion to help fund those
restaurants that had not previously received awards finishing everybody
who is in line.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the
gentleman from Oregon.
{time} 1630
Mr. BLUMENAUER. The legislation provides $13 billion for a separate
industry neutral fund for small businesses that have been
disproportionately hard hit by the pandemic, such as live events,
travel, hospitality, and fitness. We have all heard from them in our
Districts.
Finally, the legislation extends the period of time that Shuttered
Venue Operators Grants can be spent to harmonize it with the Restaurant
Revitalization Fund.
Best of all, this bill can be paid for with fraudulent pandemic
relief funds that are recovered.
Mr. Speaker, it is time for us to finish the job protecting our
neighborhood restaurants and other distressed businesses. I am proud to
have sponsored this. I deeply appreciate the broad bipartisan support
in the House and the Senate, and I hope we will enact it today. I
support the rule.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, restaurants and
small businesses are facing difficulties, and one of those challenges
is high energy costs. Delivery costs go up. It costs more for their
employees to get to work. It costs more for all of those things because
of high energy costs. So this does affect restaurants and small
businesses. I think this affects restaurants, small businesses, and
every American.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr.
Obernolte).
Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to oppose the previous question so
that we can immediately consider the American Energy Independence from
Russia Act.
Mr. Speaker, last night I held a townhall with over 2,000 of my
constituents.
Do you know what was top of mind to those people?
It was not the previous question. It was energy prices in America,
and particularly, the price of fuel.
Mr. Speaker, it was heartbreaking to hear from constituent after
constituent after constituent who said that they were unable to afford
the energy required to get to work and back just to put food on the
table for their families. Mr. Speaker, you can imagine how embarrassing
and heartbreaking it was for me to have to admit to my constituents
that the reason for those high energy prices was the actions of their
very own government.
Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of the current administration, there
has been a concerted effort to constrain the supply of energy produced
here in America. What we have is a classic problem of supply and
demand. We don't have enough supply, and yet this administration in its
very first week issued an executive order completely halting the
issuance of new gas and oil exploration permits on Federal lands in
this country. It issued an executive order stopping the Keystone XL
pipeline. Mr. Speaker, that pipeline alone, if it were in operation
today, would allow us to import more than enough oil to completely
offset our oil imports from Russia.
The tragic thing about this situation is that the administration is
doing this out of the mistaken belief that it will make the planet
greener. But nothing could be further from the truth. We produce energy
more cleanly here in America than any other country on Earth.
So when we take actions that require us to import more oil from
places like Venezuela, which has a 50 percent higher lifecycle
greenhouse gas emission per barrel of oil than oil produced here in
America, and when we increase oil imports from places like Russia that
still utilize dirty practices like methane flaring--things we haven't
done here in years--we are actually increasing global greenhouse gas
emissions.
Mr. Speaker, if we increase energy production here, not only will we
lower prices for our constituents who are suffering, and not only will
we increase our national security, but we will also make our planet a
cleaner place.
Mr. Speaker, I urge immediate consideration of the American
Independence from Russia Act.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished
gentlewoman from the State of Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the manager for yielding, and I
thank him for his leadership. I thank, of course, the chairwoman of the
Small Business Committee, Mr. Blumenauer, and the many supporters who
have provided support for this legislation.
I am hoping that as my colleagues begin to see the light, that they
will understand that it will be far worse for all of the employees who
are in restaurants that may close that they will not even be employed
to think about paying for any gas prices no matter how much they might
be.
I stand with them to ensure that inflation goes down and that we
respond to gasoline prices. But they are not clear in what we are doing
today. We are helping small and hard-hit businesses--sole proprietors,
independent contractors, and businesses that are not over 200
employees--to keep these employees who have suffered from the
devastation of the pandemic.
We are doing more. We are not spending an extra penny because we are
capturing those dollars from those who fraudulently used dollars
before. So we are making good on our promise to spend the American tax
dollars correctly. We are having a data collection. We are going to
have oversight on this particular program to ensure that it is spent
effectively.
We are going to respond, if you will, to the needs of the mom and
pops, the really oldest and distinguished restaurants like This is It
in Houston, Texas; Burns Original BBQ; and J&J; as people who have
stood the storm yet, have kept employees but that didn't know whether
they could keep their doors open.
This is an important and vital piece of legislation. I support the
underlying legislation, which is the bill that deals with relief for
restaurants and other hard-hit small businesses and the underlying
rule.
Don't you get it?
[[Page H4235]]
We are keeping businesses open and keeping people employed. That is
what we are doing today. Support the rule and the underlying bill.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the rule to
consider H.R. 3807, the ``Relief for Restaurants and Other Hard Hit
Small Businesses Act of 2022,'' which provides $70.6 billion in FY2022
for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this committee is reconsidering this
critical piece of legislation for America's restaurant owners. The
American Rescue Plan made great progress in providing the funding in an
equitable manner, prioritizing women, veteran, and economically and
socially disadvantaged restaurant owners. In addition, the majority of
funds were reserved for restaurants whose gross receipts were no more
than $1,500,000 dollars.
It is essential to promote equity through the Restaurant
Revitalization Fund Mr. Speaker, considering that only 8 percent of
restaurants are owned by blacks and 23.8% of Asian owned businesses are
restaurants. As legislators we must do everything we can to ensure
their survival.
To underscore the personal importance this funding holds to me, I
would like to mention a widely loved, black owned, and historic Third
Ward restaurant: Cream Burger.
Cream Burger sits on the corner of Elgin and Scott and has been in
operation for 60 years. It is a cash only restaurant that has only had
two additions to the menu across the entirety of its existence: chili
cheese fries and bacon.
The Greenwood family has been serving the residents of the Third Ward
their delicious burgers and homemade ice cream for decades and has no
plans of closing any time soon.
The original owners of the restaurant, Verna and Willie Greenwood,
opened the restaurant to generate their own income and create
generational wealth, which they certainly have done. Ever since their
tragic passing, the business is now owned and operated by their
daughters, Beverly and Sandra.
Beverly and Sandra hope to pass the business onto the next generation
of children so they can, ``see it through. Maybe 100 years,'' Beverly
said.
The restaurant sees a range of Third Ward customers every day, from
the students at the University of Houston to the cashiers working at
the historic Houston Food Mart just down the street.
Cream Burger is iconic in the city of Houston, and I hold it in the
highest reverence. It, and so many restaurants like it, is one of those
restaurants that would receive funds from this legislation.
It is for that reason Mr. Speaker I support the rule to consider H.R.
3807, the ``Relief for Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small Businesses
Act of 2022.'' It will help save so many businesses like the beloved
Cream Burger, so I urge my colleagues to support the rule as well.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman
from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks).
Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding me
time to speak on this critical issue.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to defeat the previous
question so we can take up H.R. 6858, the American Energy Independence
from Russia Act. This commonsense legislation introduced by
Representatives McMorris Rodgers and Westerman would require President
Biden to submit an energy security plan to Congress to evaluate U.S.
oil and natural gas imports, identify importing countries that pose an
energy security risk to America, and encourage domestic production of
oil and natural gas to offset imports from Russia.
In fact, in contrast to our colleague's statement, Iowa is a leader
in renewable energy. Fifty percent of our energy comes from renewable
sources. We even pay restaurants for their unused and old cooking oil.
We are an energy exporter, and it is all done without a government
mandate. All of the oil imported from Russia could be offset by ethanol
made from corn in Iowa.
In order for the U.S. to become energy independent and secure, we
must have an all-of-the-above energy policy. We must unleash our
natural resources and produce our own clean, efficient energy here at
home to ensure low energy prices and promote American jobs in our
communities.
Rather than promoting policies that hamper U.S. energy production and
ceding security to adversarial nations like Russia, Iran, and
Venezuela, we should promote exploration here at home and unleash our
potential. We must ensure that the current ban on Russian energy is
sustainable by prioritizing U.S. energy production, including biofuels.
Just last week, the President released a budget proposal that
included $45 billion on new taxes on domestic energy production. This
comes on top of other disastrous decisions over the past year and a
half such as those that halt the Keystone XL pipeline and the current
delay over the 5-year program for offshore energy leasing in the Gulf
of Mexico. These policies are not working for hardworking American
families and businesses who are dealing with high inflation and
skyrocketing gas prices.
The American Independence from Russia Act would immediately approve
the Keystone XL pipeline, remove restrictions on U.S. LNG exports,
restart oil and gas leasing on Federal lands and waters, and protect
energy and mineral development. These are key steps we can take to
promote U.S. energy security, and we must take action now.
For this reason, I urge all of my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the
previous question. Support H.R. 6858 to make America energy independent
and secure by voting ``no'' on the previous question.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I will say this, that I suspect when,
hopefully, this bill becomes law and we have helped save the 178,000
restaurants around this country that a number of my colleagues on the
other side of the aisle will be taking credit for it. I hope many of
them vote for it despite their unwillingness to really have a
conversation about it today and to talk about extraneous issues.
Before I reserve the balance of my time, I include in the Record a
January 24, 2022, article from CNBC entitled ``National Restaurant
Association asks Congress for more grant money as omicron hits
industry.''
[From CNBC, Jan. 24, 2022]
National Restaurant Association Asks Congress for More Grant Money as
Omicron Hits Industry
(By Amelia Lucas)
The National Restaurant Association is asking Congress to
replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund as the Covid
omicron variant hits operators' businesses.
Last year, lawmakers created the $28.6 billion fund to aid
bars and restaurants struggling in the wake of the pandemic.
The grants were designed to make up for a restaurant's full
pandemic losses of up to $5 million for a single location or
$10 million for a business with fewer than 20 locations.
Publicly traded companies were ineligible, but their
franchisees could still apply.
Since the fund was depleted, restaurants have been pushing
for Congress to replenish it. Several lawmakers have
introduced legislation to do so, but the bills haven't gained
traction, and the Biden administration hasn't appeared
interested in supporting the measures.
But the latest surge in Covid-19 cases and its impact on
restaurants could change minds.
The National Restaurant Association's latest survey of
operators found that 88% of restaurants saw indoor dining
demand wane because of the omicron variant. More than three-
quarters of respondents told the trade group that business
conditions are worse now than three months ago. And the
majority of operators said their restaurant is less
profitable now than it was before the pandemic.
``Alarmingly, the industry still hasn't recreated the more
than 650,000 jobs lost early in the pandemic, a loss 45
percent more than the next closest industry,'' the trade
group's top lobbyist, Sean Kennedy, wrote in a letter to
congressional leadership for both parties.
Kennedy also touted the benefits of the first round of RRF
grants. The trade group estimates that more than 900,000
restaurants jobs were saved by the initial round of funding,
and 96 percent of recipients said the grant made it more
likely they could stay in business. A full replenishment of
the fund would save more than 1.6 million jobs, according to
the trade group's estimates.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, in closing, I appreciate that my colleague from New York
talks about an extraneous issue. But gas prices and the cost of energy
in America is a serious issue, and it is facing every American. Every
American is paying more at the pump, and they are facing the decision
in their family budget of how they are going to use that.
In 2020, the last administration added 30 million barrels of oil to
the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Now the Biden administration is
weighing a plan to release roughly 1 million barrels of oil a day from
this reserve for months on end, and this is after he released 30
million barrels in early March
[[Page H4236]]
and 50 million barrels of oil back in November which did nothing to
prevent a spike in energy prices.
Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers and Congressman Westerman have
introduced the American Energy Independence Act to reverse President
Biden's disastrous anti-American energy policies. This bill is a real
solution, and it needs to be heard. We need to talk about this to the
American people.
This bill, H.R. 3807, that we have before us is not going to help
restaurants and small businesses. But, of course, that is not the
Democrats' intention anyway. If it were, they would have brought this
bill through committee and worked with Republicans to build an
effective piece of legislation.
Instead, their intention is to push this legislation through that
sounds good so that they can use it as a talking point to distract from
their failed policies. This bill is just another example of the
Democrats' reckless spending habits. Their solution to the effects of
inflation is to throw even more money at it.
When will my colleagues learn that spending is what causes the
inflation?
It is time for more pro-growth policies, not government handouts.
Mr. Speaker, I oppose the rule and the underlying bill, I ask Members
to do the same, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, first let me thank my colleague and friend, Mrs.
Fischbach. We spend a lot of time together in the Rules Committee, and
I always appreciate our conversations. While we may not agree on issues
from time to time, I always appreciate her earnestness, and I
appreciate her good work.
I want to thank all of my colleagues for their words in support of
the rule before us today.
As I mentioned earlier, Congress acted last year to provide much-
needed relief for restaurants and other small businesses, but we must
do much more. Our economy simply cannot survive without small
businesses, and it is paramount that we redouble our commitment to
ensuring their continued success.
I pledge to always be an ally in that fight, and I know my colleagues
join me in that. I look forward to voting in favor of this effort to
bring much-needed relief to local restaurants and the small business
community.
The material previously referred to by Mrs. Fischbach is as follows:
Amendment to House Resolution 1033
At the end of the resolution, add the following:
Sec. 2. Immediately upon adoption of this resolution, the
House shall proceed to the consideration in the House of the
bill (H.R. 6858) to strengthen United States energy security,
encourage domestic production of crude oil, petroleum
products, and natural gas, and for other purposes. All points
of order against consideration of the bill are waived. The
bill shall be considered as read. All points of order against
provisions in the bill are waived. The previous question
shall be considered as ordered on the bill and on any
amendment thereto to final passage without intervening motion
except: (1) one hour of debate equally divided and controlled
by the chair and ranking minority member of the Committee on
Energy and Commerce; and (2) one motion to recommit.
Sec. 3. Clause 1(c) of rule XIX shall not apply to the
consideration of H.R. 6858.
Mr. MORELLE. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on the rule and the
previous question, I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the
previous question on the resolution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on ordering the previous
question; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes appeared
to have it.
Mrs. FISCHBACH. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this question
are postponed.
____________________