[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 62 (Thursday, April 7, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H4401-H4414]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION FUND REPLENISHMENT ACT OF 2021
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1033, I call
up 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, and ask for its immediate consideration in the
House.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1033, an
amendment in the nature of a substitute consisting of the text of Rules
Committee Print 117-39, modified by the amendment printed in House
Report 117-290, is adopted and the bill, as amended, is considered
read.
The text of the bill, as amended, is as follows:
H.R. 3807
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Relief for Restaurants and
other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION GRANTS.
(a) Appropriation.--Section 5003(b)(2) of the American
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9009c(b)(2)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A)--
(A) by striking ``$28,600,000,000'' and inserting
``$70,600,000,000''; and
(B) by inserting ``, of which not more than $420,000,000
shall be for administrative expenses to carry out this
section, and of which $7,500,000 shall be for the Inspector
General of the Small Business Administration, $7,500,000 for
the Department of Justice for investigative and prosecutorial
activities related to fraud and abuse, and $7,500,000 for
Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, for audits of
grants under this section to investigate fraud and to
identify improper payments and ineligible recipients, and for
other necessary expenses'' before the period at the end; and
(2) in subparagraph (B)(i)(II), by striking
``$23,600,000,000'' and inserting ``any remaining amounts not
used for a purpose authorized under subparagraph (A) or
clause (i) of this subparagraph''.
(b) Insufficient Funding.--Section 5003 of the American
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9009c) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(d) Insufficient Funding.--
``(1) In general.--If the Administrator determines that the
amounts made available to carry out this section are
insufficient to make grants in the amount provided in
subsection (c)(4) to each eligible entity that has submitted
an application in accordance with the program guidelines in
effect on the day before the date of enactment of this
subsection, but has not received an award as of such date,
the Administrator shall make grants with the available
amounts to each such eligible applicant--
``(A) such that the amount of the grant that each such
eligible entity would have otherwise received under this
section is reduced by an equal percentage;
``(B) by establishing a maximum amount for a grant made
under this subsection to ensure that smaller eligible
entities still receive grants in the amounts provided under
subsection (c)(4); or
``(C) by providing full awards in the amounts provided
under subsection (c)(4) below a certain threshold (as the
Administrator may establish) and reducing grants above that
threshold by an equal percentage.
``(2) Reserving funds.--Nothing in paragraph (1) shall
prevent the Administrator from--
``(A) reserving funding for applicants that may be
determined to be eligible for a grant under this section upon
reconsideration; or
``(B) making partial awards to eligible entities on a
preliminary basis until the amount of funding required to
fund grants to all eligible applicants is established, upon
the completion of the reconsideration process.''.
(c) Reports; Reconsideration; Verification of Business
Type.--Section 5003 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
(15 U.S.C. 9009c), as amended by subsection (b), is further
amended by adding at the end the following:
``(e) Reports.--The Administrator shall--
``(1) on a biweekly basis until the amounts made available
to carry out this section are fully expended, publish data
that shows, for the period beginning on the date on which the
Administrator began making grants under this section and
ending on the date on which the information is published--
``(A) with respect to applications for grants under this
section, the number of those applications--
``(i) that the Administrator has received;
``(ii) that the Administrator has reviewed or is in the
process of reviewing; and
``(iii) with respect to which the Administrator has made a
decision; and
``(B) the number and dollar amount of grants under this
section--
``(i) that have been awarded; and
``(ii) that have been disbursed;
``(2) on a weekly basis until the amounts made available to
carry out this section are fully expended, publish, with
respect to the period beginning on the date of enactment of
this subsection and ending on the date on which the
information is published--
``(A) with respect to each eligible entity to which a grant
is made under this section--
``(i) the name of the eligible entity, including the name
or names under which the eligible entity does business if
that name is different from the name of the eligible entity;
and
``(ii) the address of--
``(I) the eligible entity; and
``(II) the physical location or locations for the eligible
entity listed on the application, if different from the
address of the eligible entity;
``(B) the amount of each grant described in subparagraph
(A); and
``(C) the business category listed in subsection (a)(4)(A)
to which the eligible entity belongs.
``(f) Reconsideration.--
``(1) Explanation for denial.--With respect to an applicant
that applies for a grant under this section and is denied by
the Administrator, the Administrator shall make available to
the applicant a brief explanation identifying the reason why
the Administrator denied the application of the applicant,
which shall include, where applicable, a citation to the
statutory, regulatory, or guidance provision with which the
applicant
[[Page H4402]]
failed to comply and that was the basis for the denial.
``(2) Process.--The Administrator shall establish a
reconsideration process through which the applicant may--
``(A) submit to the Administrator additional information
the applicant determines to be relevant to whether the
applicant is eligible for the grant; and
``(B) receive a review of the application and such
additional information submitted under subparagraph (A).
``(g) Verification of Business Type.--If the Administrator
verifies that an applicant for a loan under section 7(a)(36)
of the Small Business Act is not an eligible business type
for a grant under this section using credible information
other than information obtained from the application of the
applicant for such loan during 2020, the Administrator may
reject the application solely on those grounds.''.
(d) Requirement of Continuing Operation.--For any
application for a grant under section 5003 of the American
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9009c) that is pending on
the date of enactment of this Act or for which the applicant
has received an award notice but the Administrator has not
disbursed amounts under the grant, the Administrator may not
disburse amounts under the grant unless the applicant submits
a statement to the Administrator indicating the applicant is
still operating, or intends to reopen within 6 months after
the date of the statement is submitted, the place of business
for which such applicant is seeking such grant.
(e) Oversight and Audits.--Section 5003 of the American
Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9009c), as amended by
subsection (c), is further amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(h) Oversight and Audits.--
``(1) In general.--The Administrator shall institute an
oversight and audit plan with respect to eligible entities
receiving grants under this section, which shall include--
``(A) documentation requirements that are consistent with
the eligibility and other requirements under this section,
including by requiring an eligible entity that receives a
grant under this section to retain records that demonstrate
compliance with those requirements; and
``(B) reviews of the use of grants made under this section
by eligible entities.
``(2) Submission of plan.--Not later than 30 days after the
date of enactment of this subsection, the Administrator shall
submit to the Committee on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small
Business of the House of Representatives the plan required
under paragraph (1), which shall describe--
``(A) the policies and procedures of the Administrator for
conducting oversight and audits of grants made under this
section; and
``(B) the metrics that the Administrator will use to
determine which grants made under this section will be
audited under that plan.
``(3) Reports.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
enactment of this subsection, and once every 30 days
thereafter until the date that is 180 days after the date on
which all amounts made available to carry out this section
have been fully expended, and upon request thereafter, the
Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Small Business
and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small
Business of the House of Representatives a report on the
oversight and audit activities of the Administrator under
this subsection, which shall include--
``(A) the total number of grants approved and disbursed
under this section;
``(B) the total amount of each grant received by each
eligible entity;
``(C) the number of active investigations and audits of
grants made under this section;
``(D) the number of completed reviews and audits of grants
made under this section, including a description of--
``(i) any findings of fraud or other material noncompliance
with the requirements of this section; and
``(ii) the total amount recouped from ineligible
recipients; and
``(E) a description of any substantial changes made to the
plan required under paragraph (1).
``(4) Retroactive application.--This subsection shall apply
to grants and decisions made under this section before, on,
or after the date of enactment of this subsection.''.
SEC. 3. HARD HIT INDUSTRIES AWARD PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Small Business Administration.
(2) Affiliated business.--The term ``affiliated business''
means a business in which an eligible entity--
(A) has an equity or right to receive not less than 50
percent of the profit distributions of such business; or
(B) has, on or before March 13, 2020, contractual authority
to control the business.
(3) Award.--The term ``award'' means a financial assistance
payment that an eligible applicant receives directly from the
Small Business Administration.
(4) Covered period.--The term ``covered period'' means the
period beginning on February 15, 2020, and ending on the
later of--
(A) March 31, 2023; or
(B) a date to be determined by the Administrator that is
not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this
section.
(5) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity''--
(A) means a small business concern that--
(i) employs not more than 200 employees; and
(ii) suffered a pandemic-related revenue loss of 40 percent
or greater; and
(B) does not include a small business concern that--
(i) is a State or local government-operated business;
(ii) has received a grant under--
(I) section 324 of the Economic Aid to Hard Hit Small
Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (15 U.S.C. 9009a); or
(II) section 5003 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
(Public Law 117-2);
(iii) is a publicly-traded company;
(iv) is an entity that is owned or operated by a private
equity fund; or
(v) has a wage violation at the time of application.
(6) Eligible self-employed individual.--The term ``eligible
self-employed individual'' has the meaning given in section
7002(b) of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (26
U.S.C. 1401 note).
(7) Exchange; issuer; security.--The terms ``exchange'',
``issuer'', and ``security'' have the meanings given those
terms, respectively, in section 3(a) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78c(a)).
(8) Pandemic-related revenue loss.--
(A) In general.--The term ``pandemic-related revenue loss''
means, subject to subparagraph (B) and with respect to an
eligible entity--
(i) except as provided in clauses (ii) and (iii), the
average annual gross receipts during 2020 and 2021, as
established using such verification documentation as the
Administrator may require, of the eligible entity subtracted
from the gross receipts of the eligible entity in 2019, if
such sum is greater than zero;
(ii) if the eligible entity was not in operation for the
entirety of 2019--
(I) the difference between--
(aa) the product obtained by multiplying the average
monthly gross receipts of the eligible entity in 2019 by 12;
and
(bb) the product obtained by multiplying the average
monthly gross receipts of the eligible entity in 2020 and
2021 by 12; or
(II) an amount based on a formula determined by the
Administrator; or
(iii) if the eligible entity began operations during the
period beginning on January 1, 2020, and ending on the day
before the date of enactment of this section, an amount based
on a formula determined by the Administrator.
(B) Reduction.--For purposes of this paragraph, the
pandemic-related revenue losses for an eligible entity
calculated under subparagraph (A) shall be reduced by the sum
of--
(i) any amount received from a covered loan made under
paragraph (36) or (37) of section 7(a) of the Small Business
Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)) in 2020 or 2021;
(ii) any amount received as a grant under section 1110 of
the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (15
U.S.C. 9009); and
(iii) any amount received as a grant under section 331 of
the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits,
and Venues Act (15 U.S.C. 9009b).
(C) Percentage determination.--For the purposes of
determining the percentage of pandemic-related revenue loss
under this subsection, the percentage shall be equal to--
(i) in the case of an eligible entity for which
subparagraph (A)(i) applies, the product obtained by
multiplying--
(I) the quotient obtained by dividing the pandemic-related
revenue losses for such eligible entity by the gross receipts
of the eligible entity in 2019; and
(II) 100;
(ii) in the case of an eligible entity for which
subparagraph (A)(ii)(I) applies, the product obtained by
multiplying--
(I) the quotient obtained by dividing the pandemic-related
revenue losses for such eligible entity by the product
obtained by multiplying the average monthly gross receipts of
the eligible entity in 2019 by 12; and
(II) 100; and
(iii) in the case of an eligible entity for which clauses
(ii)(II) or (iii) applies, an amount based on a formula
determined by the Administrator.
(9) Payroll costs.--The term ``payroll costs'' has the
meaning given the term in section 7(a)(36)(A) of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)(36)(A)), except that such term
shall not include--
(A) qualified wages, as defined in section 2301(c) of the
CARES Act (26 U.S.C. 3111 note), taken into account in
determining the credit allowed under such section 2301; or
(B) premiums taken into account in determining the credit
allowed under section 6432 of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986.
(10) Private equity fund.--The term ``private equity fund''
has the meaning given the term in section 225.173(a) of title
12, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor regulation.
(11) Publicly-traded company.--The term ``publicly-traded
company'' means an entity that is majority owned or
controlled by an entity that is an issuer, the securities of
which are listed on a national securities exchange under
section 6 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C.
78f).
(12) Small business concern.--The term ``small business
concern'' has the meaning given under section 3 of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632) and includes----
[[Page H4403]]
(A) individuals who operate under a sole proprietorship, as
an independent contractor, or as an eligible self-employed
individual; and
(B) small business concerns described in subparagraphs (B),
(C), and (D) of section 31(b)(2) of the Small Business Act
(15 U.S.C. 657a(b)(2)).
(13) Small business act definitions.--The terms ``covered
mortgage obligation'', ``covered operations expenditure'',
``covered rent obligation'', ``covered supplier cost'',
``covered utility payment'', and ``covered worker protection
expenditure'' have the meanings given, respectively, in
section 7A of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636m).
(b) Awards to Eligible Entities.--
(1) In general.--From amounts made available under this
Act, the Administrator shall establish a program to be known
as the ``Hard Hit Industries Award Program'', under which the
Administrator shall make awards to eligible entities that
submit an application under paragraph (2).
(2) Application.--
(A) Certification.--An eligible entity shall submit to the
Administrator an application for an award under this
subsection. In such application, the eligible entity shall
make a good faith certification that--
(i) the uncertainty of current economic conditions makes
necessary the award request to support the ongoing operations
of the eligible entity; and
(ii) the eligible entity has no pending application for and
has not received a grant under--
(I) section 324 of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small
Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (15 U.S.C. 9009a); or
(II) section 5003 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
(15 U.S.C. 9009c).
(B) Verification.--The Administrator shall use tax records
or other reliable sources, such as certified accounting
statements, with respect to an applicant for an award under
this section to determine--
(i) the eligibility of the applicant for that award; and
(ii) the amount of that award to the applicant.
(C) Acceptance of applications.--Not later than 120 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Administrator shall begin accepting applications for an award
under this subsection.
(D) Priority.--
(i) In general.--The Administrator shall prioritize
eligible entities that have experienced significant pandemic-
related revenue loss to receive an award under this section
as follows:
(I) First priority to eligible entities that experienced a
pandemic-related revenue loss of at least 80 percent.
(II) Second priority to eligible entities that experienced
a pandemic-related revenue loss of at least 60 percent.
(ii) Smaller entities.--Within each category of eligible
entities described in subclauses (I) through (III) of clause
(i), the Administrator may prioritize awards to eligible
entities with 50 employees or fewer.
(iii) Additional priority.--Within each category of
eligible entities described in subclauses (I) through (III)
of clause (i), the Administrator may prioritize awards to
eligible entities that did not receive a covered loan made
under paragraph (36) or (37) of section 7(a) of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)) in 2020 or 2021.
(3) Award amount.--
(A) Aggregate maximum amount.--The aggregate maximum amount
of awards made to an eligible entity and any affiliated
businesses of the eligible entity under this subsection may
not exceed $1,000,000.
(B) Determination of award amount.--
(i) In general.--Except as provided in this paragraph, the
amount of an award made to an eligible entity under this
subsection shall be equal to the pandemic-related revenue
loss of the eligible entity.
(ii) Return to treasury.--Any amount of an award made under
this subsection to an eligible entity described in clause
(ii) or (iii) of subsection (a)(8)(A) that is greater than
the average annual gross receipts of the eligible entity in
2020 and 2021 shall be returned to the Treasury.
(C) Insufficient funding.--After selecting award recipients
in accordance with paragraph (2)(D) and before disbursing any
awards under this section, if the Administrator determines
that the amounts made available under this Act for making
awards under this section are insufficient to make awards to
each eligible entity that submits an application under
paragraph (2) in the amount described under subparagraphs (A)
and (B), the Administrator may make awards with the available
amounts such that the amount of the award that each eligible
entity would have otherwise received under those
subparagraphs and in accordance with paragraph (2)(D) is
reduced by a percentage, except that the Administrator may
establish an aggregate maximum amount for awards made under
this subparagraph and in accordance with paragraph (2)(D) to
ensure that smaller eligible entities receive awards in the
amounts provided under those subparagraphs.
(4) Use of funds.--During the covered period, an eligible
entity that receives an award under this subsection may use
the award for the following expenses incurred as a direct
result of, or during, the COVID-19 pandemic:
(A) Payroll costs.
(B) Payments to independent contractors, as reported on
Form 1099-MISC, except that each such payment may not exceed
$100,000.
(C) Scheduled payments of interest or principal on any
covered mortgage obligation (which may not include any
prepayment of principal on a covered mortgage obligation).
(D) Payments on any covered rent obligation and common area
maintenance charges under a lease agreement.
(E) Covered utility payments.
(F) Maintenance expenses.
(G) Covered worker protection expenditures.
(H) Supplies, including protective equipment and cleaning
materials.
(I) Expenses that were within the scope of the normal
business practice of the eligible entity before the covered
period.
(J) Covered supplier costs.
(K) Covered operational expenses.
(L) Paid sick leave.
(M) Capital expenditures (or expenses required under any
Federal, State, or local law) relating to implementing social
distancing measures.
(N) Any other essential expenses of the eligible entity, as
determined by the Administrator.
(5) Returning funds.--If an eligible entity that receives
an award under this section fails to use all of the award on
or before the last day of the covered period or permanently
ceases operations on or before the last day of the covered
period, the eligible entity shall return to the Administrator
any funds that the eligible entity did not use for the
allowable expenses under paragraph (4).
(c) Data Transparency and Customer Service.--The
Administrator shall--
(1) in carrying out this section, maintain regular
communication with applicants and representatives of such
applicants, including by--
(A) hosting regularly scheduled information sessions with
those persons; and
(B) providing opportunities to those persons to submit and
receive answers to questions regarding awards made under this
section;
(2) on a weekly basis until the amounts made available
under this section are fully expended, publish data that
shows, for the period beginning on the date of enactment of
this Act and ending on the date on which the information is
published--
(A) with respect to applications for awards under this
section, the number of those applications--
(i) that the Administrator has received;
(ii) that the Administrator has reviewed or is in the
process of reviewing; and
(iii) with respect to which the Administrator has made a
decision; and
(B) the number and dollar amount of payments awarded and
disbursed under this section;
(3) on a weekly basis until the amounts made available to
carry out this section are fully expended, publish, for the
period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and
ending on the date on which the information is published--
(A) the name and location of each eligible entity to which
an award has been made under this section; and
(B) the amount of such award;
(4) with respect to an applicant that applies for an award
under this section and is denied by the Administrator--
(A) make available to the applicant a brief explanation
regarding the denial which shall include, where applicable, a
citation to the statute, regulation, or guidance with which
the applicant failed to comply and that was the basis for the
denial; and
(B) establish a reconsideration process through which the
applicant may--
(i) submit to the Administrator additional information the
applicant determines to be relevant to whether the applicant
is eligible for the grant; and
(ii) receive a review of the application and such
additional information submitted under clause (i).
(d) Tax Treatment of Awards.--
(1) In general.--For the purposes of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986--
(A) no award made under this section shall be included in
the gross income of the eligible entity that receives an
award;
(B) no deduction shall be denied, no tax attribute shall be
reduced, and no basis increase shall be denied, by reason of
the exclusion from gross income provided by subparagraph (A);
and
(C) in the case of a partnership or S corporation that
receives an award under this section--
(i) any amount excluded from income by reason of
subparagraph (A) shall be treated as tax exempt for purposes
of sections 705 and 1366 of such Code; and
(ii) the Secretary of the Treasury (or the Secretary's
delegate) shall prescribe rules for determining a partner's
distributive share of any amount described in clause (i) for
purposes of section 705 of such Code.
(2) Applicability.--Paragraph (1) shall apply to taxable
years ending after the date of enactment of this Act.
(e) System for Award Management.--The Administrator may not
require any eligible entity that applies for an award under
this section to use the System for Award Management (or any
successor system) with respect to that award.
(f) Application Processing.--The Director of the Office of
Management and Budget may, on an emergency basis and in order
to expedite the processing and approval of applications for
awards under this section, waive the requirements of part 200
of title 2,
[[Page H4404]]
Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulations)
with respect to an award made under this section, if--
(1) the Director finds that such a waiver will prevent
eligible entities from failing or suffering undue hardship;
and
(2) each eligible entity that receives an award under this
section is still required to submit to the Administrator
ongoing reports regarding the use by the eligible entity of
the award amounts.
(g) Oversight and Audits.--
(1) In general.--In cooperation with the Director of the
Office of Management and Budget, the Administrator shall
establish an oversight and audit plan with respect to
eligible entities receiving awards under this section, which
shall include--
(A) documentation requirements that are consistent with the
eligibility and other requirements under this section,
including a requirement that an eligible entity that receives
an award under this section retains records that demonstrate
compliance with the requirements of this section; and
(B) reviews of the use, by eligible entities, of awards
made under this section to ensure compliance with the
requirements of this section, which shall include--
(i) a review and audit by the Administrator of awards made
under this section; and
(ii) in the case of fraud or other material noncompliance
with respect to an award made under this section--
(I) a requirement that the applicable eligible entity repay
to the Administrator the amount of the misspent funds; or
(II) legal action by the Administrator to collect the
misspent funds.
(2) Submission of plan.--Not later than 30 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall
submit to the Committee on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small
Business of the House of Representatives the plan required
under paragraph (1), which shall describe--
(A) the policies and procedures of the Administrator for
conducting oversight and audits of awards made under this
section; and
(B) the metrics that the Administrator will use to
determine which awards made under this section will be
audited under that plan.
(3) Reports.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, once every 30 days thereafter until
the date that is 180 days after the date on which all amounts
made available to carry out this section have been fully
expended, and upon request thereafter, the Administrator
shall submit to the Committee on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small
Business of the House of Representatives a report on the
oversight and audit activities of the Administrator under
this subsection, which shall include--
(A) the total number of awards approved and disbursed under
this section;
(B) the total amount of each award received by each
eligible entity;
(C) the number of active investigations and audits of
awards made under this section;
(D) the number of completed reviews and audits of awards
made under this section, including a description of any
findings of fraud or other material noncompliance with the
requirements of this section; and
(E) a description of any substantial changes made to the
plan required under paragraph (1).
(h) Rules.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall issue rules to
carry out this section, without regard to the notice
requirements under section 553(b) of title 5, United States
Code.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to
amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated for fiscal
year 2022, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise
appropriated, $13,000,000,000, for the Hard Hit Industries
Award Program established under this section, to remain
available until expended, of which not more than $380,000,000
shall be for administrative expenses to carry out this
section, of which--
(1) $2,500,000 shall be for the Inspector General of the
Small Business Administration to prevent waste, fraud, and
abuse with respect to funding made available for the Hard Hit
Industries Award Program;
(2) $2,500,000 shall be for the Department of Justice for
investigative and prosecutorial activities related to fraud
and abuse, with respect to funding made available for the
Hard Hit Industries Award Program; and
(3) $2,500,000 shall be for shall be for the Pandemic
Response Accountability Committee with respect to funding
made available for the Hard Hit Industries Award Program.
SEC. 4. FUNDING FOR THE RESTAURANT REVITALIZATION FUND AND
THE HARD HIT INDUSTRIES AWARD PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Any unobligated covered funds are hereby
transferred to the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration for purposes of carrying out section 5003 of
the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9009c) and
the Hard Hit Industries Award Program established under
section 3 of this Act.
(b) Covered Funds Defined.--In this section, the term
``covered funds''--
(1) means any and all funds recovered, seized, reclaimed,
or otherwise returned to the Federal Government received
pursuant to--
(A) paragraph (36) or (37) of section 7(a) of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a));
(B) section 7(b)(2) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
636(b)), with respect to a loan made under such section in
response to COVID-19 during the covered period (as defined in
section 1110(a) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9009(a)));
(C) section 1110(e) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9009(e));
(D) section 331 of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small
Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (15 U.S.C. 9009b);
(E) section 324 of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small
Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (15 U.S.C. 9009a);
(F) section 5003 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
(15 U.S.C. 9009c);
(G) section 3 of this Act;
(2) includes any funds that as of December 31, 2022, are
unexpended under section 5003 of the American Rescue Plan Act
of 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9009c); and
(3) does not include funds paid by person to the Federal
Government for the purposes of tax obligations, servicing of
loans, or standard payment of fees.
SEC. 5. GRANTS FOR SHUTTERED VENUE OPERATORS.
Section 324(d) of the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small
Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act (15 U.S.C. 9009a(d))
is amended by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the
following:
``(1) Timing.--
``(A) Expenses incurred.--Amounts received under a grant
under this section may be used for costs incurred during the
period beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending on March 11,
2023 (or a later date, as determined by the Administrator).
``(B) Expenditure.--An eligible person or entity shall
return to the Administrator any amounts received under a
grant under this section that are not expended on or before
April 15, 2023 (or a later date, as determined by the
Administrator), with respect to costs incurred during the
period described in subparagraph (A).''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The bill, as amended, shall be debatable for
1 hour equally divided and controlled by the chair and ranking minority
member of the Committee on Small Business or their respective
designees.
The gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) and the gentleman from
Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
General Leave
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on H.R. 3807.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3807, the Relief for
Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act of 2022.
This bill will provide $42 billion to replenish the Restaurant
Revitalization Fund and allocate $13 billion to launch a new industry-
neutral relief program for the small businesses most impacted by the
pandemic.
Last year, Congress created the RRF under the American Rescue Plan to
provide targeted relief to struggling small restaurants. The program
delivered emergency aid to over 100,000 employers in communities across
the country. This grant was a critical lifeline and allowed businesses
to keep their lights on and continue to pay their employees.
Despite the program's success, approximately 177,000 small businesses
are still awaiting relief. While these companies are dispersed
throughout the country, they are united by a common message: Small
firms are still hurting, and they are counting on Congress for more
support.
That is why we must act to replenish the RRF and deliver long-awaited
aid to hundreds of thousands of restaurants across the country.
H.R. 3807 also takes the crucial step of creating a new $13 billion
hard-hit industries award program, which will extend aid to businesses
with the greatest revenue losses that were ineligible or unable to
access relief through other means. Rather than picking winners and
losers, this industry-neutral program makes hard-hit companies the
priority.
These programs are offset by utilizing recovered money from fraud
cases in the pandemic relief programs. Congress will take the money
that was fraudulently obtained and put it in the hands of small
businesses that need it the most.
The SBA OIG, the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee, and
[[Page H4405]]
the Department of Justice are all working aggressively to investigate
and prosecute instances of fraud and abuse, and this bill provides them
with much-needed support. By allocating $30 million to oversight
funding, today's legislation ensures these offices have the resources
needed to pursue bad actors and reclaim money Congress intended to help
small businesses.
Small employers and entrepreneurs are the backbone of our communities
and economies, and they cannot be ignored. Without today's legislation,
our local communities risk losing these critical job creators. We
simply cannot ignore them in their time of need.
Members on both sides of the aisle have come together numerous times
throughout the pandemic to pass legislation to support small firms.
Today gives us the opportunity to do that once more.
I urge my colleagues to meet this moment and pass this bill so that
these businesses can stop treading water and start looking to the
future.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 3807, as amended. Here we
are today to discuss yet another spending bill that will add to our
Nation's debt and deficit and continue to spike inflation; another bill
that creates a new government program without regard to the
effectiveness or management of existing programs; another bill that has
been rushed to the floor without a committee markup or a CBO score.
In fact, the latest draft of this legislation was sent out last
Friday night and has been amended since. This is not how we should
legislate, Mr. Speaker. We must do a better job for our Nation's small
businesses that create two out of every three new jobs in America.
I am sure I am not the only one who has experienced deja vu by my
colleagues' agenda to spend now and think later.
This agenda is not working for Main Street America. The Small
Business and Entrepreneurship Council conducted a recent poll of small
business owners and found that only 5 percent of small business owners
report that ``Congress' policies are helping the economy and small
businesses like mine.'' Just 5 percent, so that means 95 percent, Mr.
Speaker, don't like what is going on.
While we are sitting here in Washington, D.C., deciding whether to
spend more money for certain industries, Main Street is experiencing
price shocks that have not been felt in over 40 years.
Inflation is burning through our Nation at a rapid pace. From food
and shelter to gas and energy, prices in every category of life are
increasing exponentially with no end in sight.
The Consumer Price Index stands at 7.9 percent annually, and the
producer price index, which is the wholesale price index, is now at 10
percent. That makes short-term inflation look pretty bleak from the
standpoint that if the wholesale price index is 10 and the CPI 7.9, we
are going to have some more inflation, some high prices. There is no
doubt about it.
American families are feeling the pain, Mr. Speaker. Businesses feel
this pain. The Nation's smallest firms are suffering. In fact, small
business owners are reporting that their number one problem is
inflation.
The second most pressing issue for small business is the price of
gas. These price shocks hit them every single day.
Today, we are considering injecting more money into the system, which
will simply fuel the fire of inflation.
There is no doubt that small businesses suffered from the COVID-19
pandemic and the lockdowns that shut down Main Street. It has been just
over 2 years since the CARES Act was signed into law. Since that time,
we have spent approximately $6 trillion as a Nation to fight COVID-19.
Small businesses alone have received $1.2 trillion in forgivable
loans and other grants. I am proud of the bipartisan relief that
Congress provided small businesses throughout this pandemic, including
the Paycheck Protection Program, which supported many small businesses,
including restaurants, in keeping their businesses afloat and employees
on the payroll.
The goal then was to quickly get dollars out the door to support our
Nation's job creators during this time of crisis. But now, our Nation
as a whole has learned much more about this pandemic. We have learned
how to safely go about our lives.
This bill is a disingenuous attempt to posture to small businesses by
my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. If Democrats were serious
about helping restaurants and small businesses, they would have called
for an end to the ever-changing mandates and lockdowns that forced so
many businesses to close their doors. They would have accepted my
amendment during committee to adequately fund this program from the
start. They would have considered my bill when it was introduced in
July, the ENTREE Act, which responsibly refills the Restaurant
Revitalization Program and is fully paid for, which this bill we are
here for today is not.
When the government attempts to solve problems without the input of
small businesses, they create more problems, Mr. Speaker.
Have my Democrat counterparts on the other side ever asked a small
business owner if they are now capable of opening and operating safely?
Have they ever asked them whether they can now unlock their doors,
turn on their lights, and protect their workers?
Have they ever asked them if they are able to now welcome customers
and community members back into their storefronts carefully?
I have, and the answer from small businesses is a resounding yes.
Small businesses are some of the most innovative and nimble
enterprises in America. They can pivot quickly, and most importantly,
they can adapt to any situation with speed.
They are the entrepreneurs of our country that drive our country.
They can figure out how to slice the bread thinner. They know how to do
this. We saw this over the last 2 years.
At this time, small businesses need the freedom to operate
independently without Washington watching over them. We must end the
COVID economy of government handouts.
Furthermore, this bill creates another new grant program at the SBA.
The SBA, in my judgment, is incapable of operating grant programs.
Let's briefly examine how they have performed over the last 2 years,
Mr. Speaker. The Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, known as EIDL,
is filled with fraud and identity theft issues. This is per the IG, the
inspector general, in his report.
The SBA is a black hole when it comes to answering questions for
constituent businesses. We have all had businesses in our district
struggle with getting information for the grant application.
Frankly, this direct lending and direct grant program in the SBA has
been a disaster with a 30 percent fraud rate. That is the IG report
number. Yet, the SBA continues to defer EIDL payments.
The second program was the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program.
The SVOG was signed into law in December 2020. Disappointingly, and
after long delays, the SBA attempted to launch this program in April, 4
months later.
My colleagues and I sent multiple letters to the SBA regarding this
delay. The night before it went live, SBA's inspector general sent out
a warning signal. He said: SBA, you are not ready to do this. You are
not up and running yet.
But did they listen? Of course not. They went ahead anyway, and
within hours, the whole program crashed. The program then took 2 more
months to launch.
This is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker. We have to do a better job than
this. They have to do a better job than this.
The last program was the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. I would like
to remind everyone that this program was woefully underfunded by my
Democrat colleagues.
However, more shocking was the fact that congressional Democrats, the
Biden administration, and the SBA prioritized certain businesses over
others. The RRF program was fundamentally unfair. They picked winners
and losers with American taxpayer dollars.
[[Page H4406]]
{time} 0930
It was so bad, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals declared this
program unconstitutional, Mr. Speaker. They declared the whole program
unconstitutional.
The Court's majority opinion stated that the SBA injected explicit
racial and ethnic preferences into the priorities.
Enough is enough. If you judge the future by the past, as my dad once
said, it is clear the SBA is unable to properly and prudently manage
grant programs and safeguard American taxpayer dollars.
Not only does the SBA have a disastrous past of administering grant
programs, but any new dollars flowing will add fuel to the inflation
fire.
I want to be clear; this bill is supposedly paid for by recovered
funds. At best, this is an IOU, Mr. Speaker. It is not a real or
immediate offset. I agree that we need to track down and hold
fraudsters accountable, and I applaud that process. I support it
entirely. But this process takes time, and it is not going to get all
those dollars back.
For example, according to testimony provided by SBA's inspector
general at a hearing in January, the total recoveries by his office in
fiscal year 2021 was $4.2 billion. In the same testimony, and in
collaboration with Secret Service, the inspector general reports that
they have seized another $1 billion in the EIDL program. And lastly,
and, again, according to the IG, financial institutions returned
approximately $3.1 billion in fraudulent funding. That is not near
enough to cover the $55 billion that this program wants to spend.
Now more than ever, small businesses need to escape the overbearing
reach of the Federal Government.
If we want to help small businesses, then we need to stop this out-
of-control spending. We should prioritize lowering taxes so small
business owners and their workers can keep more of their hard-earned
money. We must reduce regulations that bog small businesses down with
paperwork and compliance costs.
I would argue that the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is the reason we
have the good economy we have today because we continue to allow the
business individuals to keep their hard-earned dollars and invest them
as they see fit, whereas, if we tax them to death, those dollars come
out of the system, and we limit their ability to drive our economy.
We simply need to move on from this COVID economy.
In my judgment, this is an irresponsible bill. I urge my colleagues
to oppose it. This is about economic independence.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Hoyer), the distinguished House majority leader.
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding.
And I would respond, this bill is about economic resilience. You
can't be independent if you go bankrupt. You can't be independent if
you can't operate your business. I have gone into restaurant after
restaurant in my district, and the owners of those restaurants have had
thanks for me, for the Congress, and, yes, for the administration,
including Donald Trump, who signed many of these bills, that at a time
of extraordinary stress--through no fault of their own, but a pandemic
that attacked all of us--they were able to keep their heads above
water, pay their employees, even if they couldn't be open, transfer to
carry out, and do so many things that they were able to do to remain
viable, which is, by the way, why almost every State has a surplus.
Why? Because revenues did not fall as they were projected to fall.
That is true in my State. I think it is true in almost every State.
Why didn't revenues fall? Because we kept people above water.
Now, in this particular program that passed--in many respects with
bipartisan support in 2020, December of 2020, as well--there were some
250,000-plus who were eligible under the rules that we drafted and
passed but only about 100,000 of them got relief, which means that we
left behind 150,000 people who were eligible under the rules that we
set.
And now some would say to those that were left behind, You are on
your own. That is not what we are going to do today. We are not going
to tell them you are on your own. We are going to tell them we
understand how important you are to the life of our country, to the
economy of our country, to the people of our country.
When we enacted the American Rescue Plan--which I want to make clear
did not get any Republican votes--we set aside $28.6 billion in
emergency grants to help restaurants and bars that have experienced
significant revenue losses due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Those restrictions were necessary, which is why, hopefully, we are
coming out of not only the initial assault but the variants' assault.
The aim was to help them stay open to keep their employees on the
payroll. I suggest if we had not done that, it wouldn't be independence
that they would have experienced, they would have experienced recession
and perhaps depression.
That funding quickly ran out, however, with only a third of
restaurants that applied for assistance ultimately receiving it.
The legislation before us today would replenish the Small Business
Administration's Restaurant Revitalization Fund with an additional $42
billion so that the more than 150,000 restaurants still waiting in the
cue can finally get the help they need.
Those applicants have been waiting since funding ran out last year.
And according to the Independent Restaurant Coalition, Mr. Speaker, 86
percent of owners indicated that they may close down if they aren't
able to access these grants.
More than 90,000 restaurants and bars already have shut down in this
pandemic. Think about the impact of that on neighborhoods, communities,
and local economies.
Congress should act and act quickly.
I share the view of the gentleman who spoke before me that we need to
make sure that we eliminate fraud, we eliminate abuse, and that we claw
back money that was received through fraud. All that does is hurt those
who really need it. And what this legislation says is we are going to
get back that money that was fraudulently received by individuals and
give it to people who legitimately need it and qualify, such as
restaurants, gyms, health clubs, salons, music venues, and other places
where people hope to congregate but couldn't because of necessary
pandemic restrictions.
They will get a lifeline as we all hope to get ``back to normal.'' We
all want to be back to normal. But we want to be back to normal with
businesses that are still alive, still able to serve the public.
Importantly, that lifeline to keep legitimate small businesses afloat
is paid for, as I said, by recapturing funds that were earlier
disbursed to fraudulent applicants.
We are going after bad actors and rewarding good actors.
While this is an issue important to so many members of our caucus, I
thank Representative Blumenauer for sponsoring this legislation, as
well as Representative Phillips for his championing this cause over the
past several months.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation and the
small businesses that it will help and the millions of employees that
it will help.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the majority leader's
remarks. I also support trying to help restaurants. That is the reason
we are here this morning.
But I do have a bill that is paid for that this one does not do. And
I think that the preferences that were allowed that were shown to be
unconstitutional is the reason we are here this morning, so we can find
a way to fund the rest of those folks, which I think is important for
our communities. And I agree, and I appreciate those remarks by the
leader.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Williams), the vice ranking member of the
Committee on Small Business and a small business champion in his own
right.
Mr. WILLIAMS of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it has been more than 2 years
since COVID-19 shut down the world and forced businesses to close for
months. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Congress has spent--we
have already talked about it--$6.6 trillion to help
[[Page H4407]]
American businesses get back on track to financial recovery after
enduring months of forced government closures.
At that time, aid was critical for businesses to survive the
pandemic, but we must now let the free market work and stop frivolously
spending billions more in the name of COVID-19.
This attempt by Democrats to spend billions of taxpayer dollars is
irresponsible and will only add fuel to the growing inflation crisis
that we have. Americans are currently experiencing tough times right
now trying to find out how to beat, frankly, the Federal Government.
Inflation and energy prices are the primary concerns for small
businesses. And I am a small business owner for 51 years; I still
employ hundreds of people. So those are the concerns they have. And
more Federal spending is only going to strain businesses further.
It is simple: to lower costs for hardworking families and
businessowners, we need to cut spending. We need to cut it, not spend
more money that we don't have. When you spend money you print and you
spend money you don't have, it is called inflation.
We should be focusing on getting control of the crisis at the
southern border, lowering gas prices, managing supply chain
disruptions--I am in the car business, so I can talk about that--that
are leaving shelves empty and incentivizing people to get back to work,
not not work.
In order to get back to the thriving economy we had prepandemic under
the Trump administration, Democrats must end this emergency COVID
spending charade. Hey, it is over. We are done with it. Let's move on.
And I always get a kick out of people that say they want to protect
Main Street. Well, it is funny because a lot of those people wanting to
protect Main Street are bureaucrats that never signed the front of a
check. They never met a payroll. They have been up here all their
lives. But they want to help Main Street. And the fact of the matter is
we need to cut taxes. We need to cut regulations.
So if it is so important to help Main Street, why do Democrats and
liberals want to raise taxes all the time? That doesn't help Main
Street. I want to help Main Street, but I want to raise taxes. That is
the wrong way to go about it.
So the bottom line is this: We have a better bill. I urge all of my
colleagues to oppose H.R. 3807 and reject Democrats' false claims that
this bill is fully paid for. It is fully paid for on the backs of Main
Street America. In God we trust.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer), the long-time champion of the Restaurant
Revitalization Fund.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the gentlewoman's courtesy,
as I appreciate her tireless leadership on this issue. Her committee
has performed admirably. I am excited about the wide range of areas
that you have enacted to be able to help the recovery that we have seen
around the country, one of the reasons that we have had the largest
increase in employment this last year in American history. I think what
we have today is another chapter in that story.
Over 2 years ago, I received countless late-night texts and phone
calls from the independent restaurants in my community. Portland,
Oregon is known for its restaurant scene. We set to work listening to
them to come up with an approach that would meet their needs. The so-
called Paycheck Protection Program was not adequate. They didn't even
know if they were going to be in business, let alone paying back a
loan.
We developed this grant program after consulting with independent
restaurants all across the country. The neighborhood bars and
restaurants were the hardest hit since the beginning of the pandemic.
They were the first to shut down in March of 2020, and they accounted
for a quarter of the job losses; 5\1/2\ million workers in April 2020
alone. And they have been the slowest to reopen.
Yes, they can pivot and adapt, but frankly, the unemployment in the
industry remains stubbornly slow to recover. Approximately 90,000
restaurants have already closed permanently since the start of the
pandemic, and there are a number of others that are just hanging on by
their fingertips, encouraged, in part, by the hope of the Restaurant
Revitalization Fund being replenished.
{time} 0945
Restaurants are the cornerstone of a livable community. They have
employed nearly 60 percent of Americans at some point in their career,
myself included, and I know a number of people in this Chamber identify
with that.
They are a major source of employment for people of color. And they
support a trillion-dollar supply chain all across America.
The Federal Government has provided some help to them through the
Restaurant Revitalization Fund, based on my RESTAURANTS Act that I
first introduced in June of 2020.
But the program fell short. It did not have enough money to meet all
the applicants. There were 100,000 grants that were life-changing for a
number of them, but 177,000 hanging in the balance.
The Relief for Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act
finishes the job and completes the promise.
This legislation is simple: It funds restaurants that did not receive
awards that they were otherwise entitled to; it helps other battered
industries, like live events, travel, hospitality, and fitness; and
supports shuttered venues. And it will be paid for with the fraudulent
pandemic relief funds yet to be recovered.
Now, while the COVID case numbers are low and the American public is
ready to move beyond the pandemic, our small, independent restaurants
and other businesses have not fully recovered. This is why the
legislation is critical.
It is a response to very real challenges, thinking about what they
faced in terms of that brittle supply chain; what they faced in terms
of changing regulations; the public being deeply concerned in terms of
health. It is time for us to finish the job that we started.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 30
seconds.
Mr. BLUMENAUER. It is time to finish the job that we started. We
don't want any ruthless, free-market ideology getting in the way of
these hardworking, innovative people who have put their lives and
careers on the line investing everything, hoping that they could have
the promise of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund fulfilled. This
legislation does that, and I strongly urge its adoption.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what ruthless, idiotic
ideology the gentleman was just talking about, but I think capitalism
is a pretty good ideology with which to generate the kind of activity
it takes to make an economy go. I think we saw the Tax Cuts and Jobs
Act of 2017 has done that job.
Whenever they talk about the largest increase in employment history,
it is pretty easy to have a low bar when you start talking about where
we were in the pandemic. The bar you should be talking about is where
we were prior to the pandemic, and we are still below that number.
Mr. Speaker, it is exciting for me this morning to be able to yield
such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Meuser), who is the ranking member of the Small Business Subcommittee
on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access.
Mr. MEUSER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Luetkemeyer for the
great work that he does for small businesses.
Mr. Speaker, when I speak to small businesses throughout my district,
they tell me that they are fraught by skyrocketing inflation, rising
energy costs, workforce shortages, burdensome regulations, just regular
hassles coming from the type of regulations that have been imposed and
the type of tax burdens and such.
The Biden administration continues, however, to push a policy agenda
that is absolutely detrimental to small business--there is no question
about it--creating additional headwinds such as inflation. Let's talk
about inflation.
The excessive and unnecessary spending enacted by Democrats in the
last 14 months, exceeding $2 trillion, well over $2 trillion just in
the rescue plan, almost $9 trillion over the course of the last couple
of years, has obviously contributed to the record levels of inflation;
up nearly 8 percent since last
[[Page H4408]]
year, just last year alone, the highest level since 1981.
We look back on that as the most historic inflation ever. Well, it is
happening now, and yet, we are talking about exacerbating it with
higher levels of spending.
Let's talk about energy prices. The Biden administration's blatant
and deliberate detrimental policies on domestic energy production has
caused prices at the pump to nearly double since last year, making it
clearly more difficult for small businesses to get their goods to
market; making it more difficult for customers to get to the small
businesses.
We must support our domestic energy production and make energy
affordable again. It is almost that simple.
Let's talk about the workforce shortages. Disincentives to work,
extended by the American Rescue Plan, have made it very difficult for
small businesses to recruit and retain workers. We should all know
that. Go visit any small business and they will tell you just that.
Sure, it is starting to come back, as it would once those incentives
not to work were minimized or eliminated. That is what we need to do,
create incentives to work, not discourage work.
Let's talk about tax increases. The persistent threat of increased
taxes from Democrats in Congress and the Biden administration send
shivers down the spine of small businesses, creates enormous
uncertainty, while it makes it difficult for them to plan and invest in
their businesses.
Let's talk about regulations. Since taking office 14 months ago, the
Biden administration has instituted hundreds of new regulations costing
over $200 billion in real terms, and burdening businesses with what has
been estimated as 130 million hours of additional paperwork.
Instead of saddling our small businesses with burdensome and costly
regulations, we should be trying to actually create an environment that
breeds growth and success and allows owners to invest in their business
and employees.
The solution to the difficulties that America's small businesses are
facing is not to pump $55 billion of new, unpaid spending into the
economy. This will exacerbate much of what I just went through.
Mr. Speaker, there is no reason just to criticize legislation without
a solution. We have a solution, the ENTREE Act, introduced by Ranking
Member Luetkemeyer, is fully paid for and delivers $60 billion in aid
to America's restaurants who were excluded by the previous Democrats'
unconstitutional and discriminatory RRF rollout which was proven
illegal.
Unlike the bill we are considering today, the ENTREE Act would
replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund by repurposing unused
American Rescue Plan dollars and would not further contribute to the
hyperinflation that all American small businesses--and our deficit--
that all businesses are burdened by today and, again, the highest since
nearly 50 years.
So, the real solution is a smart, responsible approach that provides
targeted relief without exacerbating the many crises small business
owners are facing today.
Every idea, Mr. Speaker, in this Congress cannot be solved by
spending billions of dollars more of taxpayer money, as stated earlier,
over $10 trillion in excess over the last 2 years. It has got to stop
somewhere, sometime.
We need to stop this out-of-control spending, reduce inflation, stop
the assault on domestic energy production, lower energy costs, and
create a business environment that is friendly to growth, not friendly
to a tax, spend, and over-regulatory Big Government.
The solution, again, is not difficult. But it must be definitely not
adding another $55 billion of spending. American job creators need to
be the most competitive in the world. We need to do what we can do to
create an environment for that.
The policies of the Biden administration and far too many Democrats
in this House have made life more difficult for small businesses. This
must change.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Carter), a member of the Small Business
Committee.
Mr. CARTER of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to represent
southeast Louisiana in Congress, a region that is rightfully famous for
its community, its culture, and its incredible food.
Around 9,000 restaurants in Louisiana applied for the Restaurant
Revitalization Act in the American Rescue Plan. Less than 3,000
received funding. It is clear, the need to replenish this legislation
is great and must happen.
Today, we will continue to fight for the help of small businesses and
families during the pandemic as we pass the Restaurant Revitalization
Fund Replenishment Act, providing an additional $60 million for the
Restaurant Revitalization Fund.
Louisiana thrives on tourism and hospitality, and the restaurant
sector is critical in the State's economy. I am so grateful that this
bill now includes provisions that I proposed in the bipartisan MUSIC
Act, which would include members of the entertainment industry, like
live event companies who have yet to have access to industry-specific
economic relief funding.
I am proud to vote ``yes'' today and stand with small businesses that
strengthen and enrich our local economies.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time is
remaining on each side?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Missouri has 11 minutes
remaining. The gentlewoman from New York has 20 minutes remaining.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the distinguished gentleman from Florida (Mr. Donalds), one of our
newest members on the committee.
Mr. DONALDS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Missouri
for giving me such latitude.
$55 billion that we don't have, folks. 42 billion, goes into this
new--the reauthorization of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Another
$13 billion going to target business owners who have less than 200
employees.
I know that there are restaurant owners and small business owners in
the United States who are looking for relief every single day. They are
trying to find a way to make ends meet.
How do I know this? Because in the beginning of my career, a lot of
what I did was analyze the very business owners who are struggling in
today's economy. And in today's economy, they are struggling for a
myriad of reasons.
Number one, our energy prices. When the price of oil shoots up so
drastically, it impacts transportation; it impacts how they get the
material that they sell in their stores every single day.
Wage inflation, which is completely out of control in the United
States. When wages go up, the costs of doing business goes up, no
matter what any politician on Capitol Hill says.
So throwing more money at this situation, especially money that has
never been appropriated; money that is going to come out of thin air,
is not going to make matters better for small business owners; it is
going to make them worse.
The ranking member on the Small Business Committee, the gentleman
from Missouri (Mr. Luetkemeyer), has a bill, the ENTREE Act, that
reauthorizes funds that have already been appropriated to be used to
help small business owners who were caught in this lurch; money that
they could use. It is paid for.
It will not put more dollars in circulation, which is one of the key
issues we are having in our economy with respect to the inflation that
is stifling small business. It is stifling working families. It
is stifling seniors who are on fixed incomes.
But it is more than just money coming from Capitol Hill. It is the
economic policy coming from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
When you have massive amounts of regulations that small business
owners must comply with, two things occur: They spend more time devoted
to compliance, or they go out of business. Or, I am sorry, there is a
third; or they sell to a larger business.
We want small business owners to thrive in the United States. We need
them to thrive in the United States. But it is not just money, folks.
It is the rules that we force them to comply with.
And the last part--I started with energy; I am going to end with
energy.
[[Page H4409]]
When energy costs go up in the United States, when they go up
recklessly and willfully because of terrible economic and energy policy
from the President of the United States, the lifeblood of our economy,
which is small business, are the ones who feel it the most. They are
the ones who are affected. They are the ones who struggle with it. They
are the ones that can't get the materials they need. They are the ones
whose workers are struggling to figure out how to get to work because
gas is now $4.20 a gallon versus $2.20 a gallon.
We have to take a serious look about what we are doing from a
complete economic perspective here on Capitol Hill.
And it is not just about new money. New money sounds good. Everybody
likes getting new money. But new money rarely is the thing that fixes
the problem. What really fixes the problem are sound policies that
address our entire business economy, so that everybody can thrive.
What really makes sense is having a sound and sensible energy
policy--where you have cheap and affordable, whether it is renewable,
or whether it is fossil fuels--that people can rely on. That is the
lifeblood of every economy.
And if we could ever get that stuff right, we might have enough sense
on Capitol Hill to actually handle our spending problems.
{time} 1000
If we can't get basic economics right, it is no wonder that Capitol
Hill always spends far more than it possibly takes in.
We have a measure to actually help small business owners right now.
It is called the ENTREE Act. Small business owners will get the help
that they need. It will work. It will actually help us stop being
reckless with money we don't have, which we, frankly, are borrowing
from the revenues that small business owners have to pay in the future
that they haven't even earned yet.
Don't pass this bill. It is not necessary. It is only more of the
same. It is more of the problem. It is more inflation. It is the
destruction of more purchasing power of the American people.
We must say ``no'' today. We need to reverse course in the United
States.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Chu), a senior member of the Small Business Committee.
Ms. CHU. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation to
fulfill our commitment to the small businesses hardest hit by the
pandemic, like the many in my Los Angeles-area district.
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund and the Shuttered Venue Operators
Grant program have been crucial interventions to protect the industries
most reliant on in-person, indoor crowds. These were some of the first
businesses to close and among the last to return to full capacity.
That is why we must pass this legislation to fund $42 billion in
pending restaurant applications, give live venues and theaters more
time and flexibility to use their funds, and create a new program for
the hardest hit small businesses that still need help to keep their
doors open.
This bill would be paid for by going after funds stolen by
fraudsters, showing the American public that the U.S. will not tolerate
those who use the pandemic to take advantage of small businesses in
their most dire time of need.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume
to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Van Duyne), who is the ranking
member on the Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations,
and Regulations. In that position, she has been leading the way in
protecting small businesses.
Ms. VAN DUYNE. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit, and my
amendment affirms this Chamber's commitment to being a proper steward
of taxpayer dollars and ensuring the integrity of SBA's programs.
Over 2 years ago, Congress enacted and activated numerous relief
programs to rescue the American economy from the COVID-19 State and
local shutdown orders that devastated small businesses across the
country. Speed was of the essence, and Congress focused on getting
dollars out quickly before parts of the economy collapsed.
However, criminal behavior took hold as many illegal applicants
entered programs and scammed others to take advantage of this relief.
According to the SBA inspector general's estimates, over $80 billion of
the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program payments and $4.6 billion of
the Paycheck Protection Program are potentially fraudulent. These are
American taxpayer dollars that are on the line, and they are being
misused and stolen.
We must do everything in Congress' power to stop this illegal
behavior and ensure that the fraudsters are brought to justice. Our
oversight capabilities must be reinforced and strengthened.
As the ranking member of the Oversight, Investigations, and
Regulations Subcommittee of the Committee on Small Business, I stand
ready to ensure that these programs are adequately built to deter this
fraudulent behavior.
However, we must also ensure that law enforcement has the tools at
their disposal and enough time to complete the job. We must lengthen
the statute of limitations for the loans and grants made during this
emergency period and give the SBA's inspector general, the Secret
Service, and the Department of Justice the necessary time to launch
investigations and complete their process.
Five years is simply not enough, especially when the SBA continues to
defer payments on EIDL loans. Therefore, my amendment moves the statute
of limitations from 5 years to 10 years to capture, recover, and seize
fraudulent dollars within these COVID-19 small business relief
programs.
Criminals moved quickly, and they did so at a time when those folks
who needed it the most were unable to get these dollars. They took
advantage of an unprecedented worldwide epidemic. In due time, our
authorities will find them and recover the money that was meant to
assist Main Street America during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our economy is driven by America's small businesses, entrepreneurs,
and startups, and protecting those relief dollars dedicated to them
should be a top priority for all Members of Congress.
This amendment is a simple, commonsense, and necessary fix. I urge my
colleagues to support it. It will give the time necessary for law
enforcement to recover our American taxpayer dollars.
Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to insert the text of the
amendment in the Record immediately prior to the vote on the motion to
recommit.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Dean). Is there objection to the request
of the gentlewoman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Evans), a member of the Small Business Committee.
Mr. EVANS. Madam Speaker, I am proud to cosponsor this bill, which is
led by my Ways and Means Committee colleague from Oregon.
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund has been a lifeline for small
businesses in Philadelphia and across the country. We provided $28
billion to help more than 100,000 restaurants. Unfortunately, the need
has been far greater than the initial funding.
This bill would extend the lifeline with another $42 billion to help
our neighborhood restaurants and the people they employ as the pandemic
continues.
Restaurants are part of our small business backbone that help to keep
our communities together and our neighbors employed.
Madam Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have
remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 3 minutes remaining.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time is
remaining on our side.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
April 7, 2022, on page H4409, in the third column, the following
appeared: The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 3 minutes
remaining. Mr. LUCAS. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time. Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time is
re . . .
The online version has been corrected to read: The SPEAKER pro
tempore. The gentleman has 3 minutes remaining. Mr. LUETKEMEYER.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Ms. VELAZQUEZ.
Madam Speaker, may I inquire how much time is re . . .
========================= END NOTE =========================
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentlewoman has 18 minutes remaining.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman
from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro), the chairwoman of the House
Appropriations Committee.
Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, restaurants and small businesses are the
heart and soul of our communities, but
[[Page H4410]]
the pandemic has cost them over $280 billion in sales, and
approximately 90,000 were forced to close.
That is why we created the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a historic
investment to increase aid to restaurants and bars hit hardest by the
pandemic. The funding has run out, and restaurants are still
struggling.
In Connecticut, the restaurants have been one of the hardest hit
sectors by the pandemic. Due to high demand, I heard from far too many
of my constituents who applied on the very first day the RRF funds were
available and were still unable to receive them. We must do more to
ensure that small businesses receive the funding they need to survive
and continue to serve our communities.
The bill before us does just that by providing $42 billion to
replenish the fund and putting $13 billion toward other businesses
impacted by the pandemic. This bill is the center of our efforts to
help these small businesses survive and thrive.
Madam Speaker, I look forward to voting in favor of this bill, and I
urge my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. VELAZQUEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Correa).
Mr. CORREA. Madam Speaker, I also rise in strong support of this
measure. This is about economic survival on Main Street. This is about
helping our friends and neighbors that have plowed their lifesavings
into a small business.
Just a couple of days ago, I got a phone call from Mr. Antonio
Cagnolo, who has had a restaurant in my neighborhood for dozens of
years. He said: Lou, for 2 years, I have taken every penny that I have
to stay in business. I am at the end of my rope. If I don't get help, I
am out of business, and I am going to lay off dozens and dozens of
workers. Lou, I don't want a handout; I want a hand. I have paid my
taxpayer dollars for years and years, and now I want you, the Federal
Government, to help me stay alive.
I said: Mr. Cagnolo, we are going to be there for you. We will get
you that support.
Folks, today, I ask you to please support this measure. Please help
our small businesses on Main Street stay alive.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PHILLIPS. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Mrs. Dingell).
Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R.
3807, the Relief for Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small Businesses
Act.
As you are hearing from my colleagues, the food service industry has
been one of the hardest hit throughout this pandemic, with many
restaurants temporarily closing their doors or dramatically limiting
their capacity during the worst surges but still feeding their
community. Far too many are never opening again.
Right now, many more are looking to close their doors permanently if
we don't give them help and live up to our commitment to support them
through this unprecedented time. We have all heard stories from our
districts of small businesses seeking assistance, many of which have
been eligible but just can't get the funds.
Like my colleagues, the Coney Island that I have gone to for 35 years
is looking at closing. The waitress who worked there for 35 years was
in total tears last week because she doesn't know what she is going to
do. There are other restaurants throughout my district just needing
help.
This legislation provides critical funding that we need to grant to
these restaurants in our communities. I strongly urge my colleagues to
support this important bill.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PHILLIPS. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Green).
Mr. GREEN of Texas. Madam Speaker, and still I rise. And still I rise
to be grateful to the Honorable Nydia Velazquez and Earl Blumenauer for
what they have done to bring this bill to the floor.
And still I rise for this job protections bill. This bill will not
only protect jobs for restaurants; it also protects jobs in the $1
trillion supply chain. It will protect jobs for those distributors to
restaurants. It will protect the jobs for those who transport to the
distributors. It protects jobs for the farmers who produce the produce
that we have in the restaurants.
There is a right time for all things. This is the right time. This is
the right place. We are the right people to do the right thing and
protect small businesses and, more importantly, protect the jobs that
fuel America, the engines of opportunity.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PHILLIPS. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
California (Ms. Lee).
Ms. LEE of California. Madam Speaker, I am glad to be able to speak
on behalf of H.R. 3807, which will deliver more funding to restaurants
and small businesses, which really deserve their Representatives to
speak up, stand up, and work for them because they desperately need our
help. We must deliver on their behalf.
Madam Speaker, I thank Speaker Pelosi, Chairwoman Velazquez, and
Congressman Blumenauer for their tremendous leadership in working so
diligently in bringing this bill to the floor.
H.R. 3807 continues Democrats' effort to help our small businesses
and restaurants recover from the economic costs of COVID-19. These
small businesses are the economic and cultural lifeblood of our
communities, so we established the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and
other support programs, in the American Rescue Plan.
The ARP delivered billions of dollars to help people in businesses
make it through this crisis. Almost 600 restaurants and bars in my
district alone received more than $212 million to keep their doors open
and to support their employees and families.
{time} 1015
However, we know that this crisis is still not over, and we must
deliver more assistance. We must pass this bill today, and I strongly
urge my colleagues to vote ``aye.''
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. PHILLIPS. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Massachusetts (Mrs. Trahan).
Mrs. TRAHAN. Madam Speaker, every Member of this Chamber has had the
privilege of meeting with hardworking small business owners in their
districts who overcame incredible challenges to stay open during the
pandemic.
The stories that stick with me the most are the ones from family-
owned establishments--community staples like Simply Khmer in Lowell and
Terra Luna in Lawrence. These businesses accessed relief through the
Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and it helped them keep their doors
open and their employees on staff.
But for every Simply Khmer and Terra Luna, there are three or four
other restaurants who applied but didn't get the relief they needed
because the fund ran out of money. And that has left many businesses
hanging on by a thread pleading for help. Passing the Relief for
Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act will answer those
calls for aid.
Madam Speaker, we owe these restaurants and small businesses this
legislation. There is simply no reason anyone in Congress should oppose
it.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join us in passing this bill.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. PHILLIPS. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Thompson).
Mr. THOMPSON of California. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for
yielding.
Madam Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has hammered every section of
our economy. Small businesses have been hit the hardest; and among
small businesses, restaurants have been crushed. An estimated 90,000
restaurants have permanently closed.
These are cornerstones of our communities and the linchpin of our
economy. If more restaurants close, then more workers will be out of
work, and transitioning to a new job will be a challenge for many of
those workers. Now is not the time to abandon small businesses.
[[Page H4411]]
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. PHILLIPS. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Mrs. Lawrence).
Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R.
3807.
Last month I held a roundtable in my district of small businesses,
and their message was loud and clear: the restaurant industry is in a
crisis. Small businesses need us to understand and send relief.
We know that this pandemic has disproportionately affected small
businesses owned by women and people of color. Our small businesses are
the backbone of our communities and local economy. If we are going to
come back as a country, we must pass this much-needed legislation. Now
is the time to take action.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. PHILLIPS. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and
I would inquire through the Chair if my colleague has any remaining
speakers on his side.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I am prepared to close.
Mr. PHILLIPS. I reserve the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
Madam Speaker, we discussed this bill thoroughly this morning, and I
think everybody understands that we have a $42 billion section of it
that is wanting to help restaurants. I thoroughly support trying to get
restaurants back on their feet.
In fact, it has been mentioned a number of times, we have an
alternative bill called the ENTREE Act that actually fixed the
constitutional problem that existed because the bill as originally
structured, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, was incorrectly
structured. It prioritized groups over something else and was quite
unconstitutional.
It was underfunded. I told everybody at the time that the bill came
through committee that was the case. I offered an amendment to try to
fix it, and it was defeated. Today, here we are trying to fix a bill
that I said wasn't structured right, it was underfunded, and we tried
to fix it.
I have a bill to do that. It is paid for. This bill suddenly has no
chance because it has never even been in committee yet. We can't get a
hearing on it.
Why? Who knows?
We have known for a long time we had this problem. Suddenly, last
Friday this particular bill shows up, and now, all of a sudden, we
recognize we have a problem. We have said this for a long, long time, 6
months or more already.
Number two, we have a second part of this which hasn't been discussed
very much this morning, which are the hardest-hit industries. We have
$13 billion there. I can guarantee you, Madam Speaker, this isn't going
to come close to fixing that problem. If you open this up to every
single business that has been hard hit, we are going to wind up being
back here--which is fine--but I am just telling you right now this is
not going to fix it.
I think one of the comments made earlier was that this bill is about
economic resilience. I think our businesses are resilient. That is why
our economy has continued to bounce back. But it is not going to be
resilient if we strangle it with higher inflation, pouring more money
into this, higher energy prices, and more regulation.
This is about freeing up the entrepreneurial spirit of our people and
our small businesses that drive this country, taking those burdens off,
lowering inflation, quit spending money we don't have, and give them
the support they need instead of choking them off with all these other
sorts of things.
We have a bill before us that can fix this if we allow it to come up.
But we are not doing it this morning. Instead, we have a bill that is
poorly structured again. I guarantee you, Madam Speaker, it is not
funded correctly either. We are trying to find a way to claw back money
which we don't even know for sure if we can. We have got some so far,
but we don't have enough.
So where is the rest of it going to come from?
It is going to be printed. That is not how we should operate as a
Congress. That is not what the American people expect of us. They
deserve better than this.
Madam Speaker, let me just close by saying that enough is enough.
Whenever we don't let alternatives be heard, to be able to hear the
voice of the minority and to be able to be heard, then we don't have a
bipartisan atmosphere that this body should be operating under.
When you have one-party rule and you throw bills on the floor without
going through proper order, this is what you get--another bill that is
poorly structured, that is not going to have a chance in the Senate
because nobody has worked together to find a way to solve a problem
which we all recognize exists.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PHILLIPS. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
By the way, to my friend across the aisle, I concur. I am eager for a
return to regular order, and I hope we work towards that.
I want to thank Chairwoman Velazquez, the extraordinary staff of the
Small Business Committee, my staff, and so many in the Capitol complex
who have brought us to this day; Representatives Blumenauer and
Quigley; my good friend, Brian Fitzpatrick, from across the aisle, and
so many others. In fact, 300 Democrats and Republicans are on bills
right now to replenish the RRF, and I want to thank them all for
getting us here today.
I am a small business owner myself. I have been listening to this
debate with open ears and open eyes, a long business career, now I own
a couple coffee shops. I used to have three, but we had to close one
during the pandemic.
I know how hard it is, how hard it has been, and how hard it will be.
But we didn't take PPP. We didn't take an IDA loan. We didn't take any
of the government support programs. That is why I am here to advocate
for the 177,000--177,000--small restaurants and cafes and millions of
owners, operators, and employees all around the country in my district
and yours who were approved for RRF funds and have been waiting for
almost a full year for us to make good on a very simple promise.
I want to thank the thousands of other small entrepreneurs and
enterprises in the fitness, live events, hospitality, and other hard-
hit sectors who have been waiting so patiently--but desperately--for
support.
A singular principle has guided me in this 8-month journey to get to
today to see this bill become law, and it is the universal and core
American principle of fairness.
We promised American entrepreneurs during the worst of COVID that we
would be there for them. We promised that those who required financial
support to survive that we would distribute it on a level playing
field. We promised that there would be no program just for the wealthy
or the well-connected, and we promised them that their government, the
United States of America, would not pick winners and losers. It is a
theme I hear constantly from my friends across the aisle, and I agree
with it.
But lo and behold, what did we do?
We did just that. We picked winners and losers by woefully
underfunding the RRF and all but ignoring other small businesses
dependent on public gathering that were ravaged by the pandemic. Most
of the 100,000 restaurants and cafes that received support weathered
the storm because of that support. They kept their lights on and their
people paid, and they are now returning to viability. I think we can
all agree on that. But 177,000 restaurants and cafes, often next door
to or across the street from those who received RRF support, got
nothing. One restaurant on one side of the street got full support, and
the other one applied, was approved, and got nothing. This is patently
and grossly unfair.
Actually, let me correct myself. I shouldn't say they got nothing.
Do you know what they got?
They got nonforgivable bank loans. They took on credit card debt.
They mortgaged their homes. Many lost
[[Page H4412]]
hope and closed their doors. And, yes, a number took their own lives.
They lost hope and took their own lives. I have sat around tables with
tears hearing those stories about how their debts mounted and their
dreams slipped away.
So to my friends across the aisle who plan to vote against this
measure, particularly those whose own businesses were recipients of
COVID aid that was passed in this Chamber, I ask a very simple
question: How would you feel if you and your business were among the
177,000 that got nothing?
How would you feel?
And was it not wasteful spending or inflationary spending when you
took the money?
My goodness. Today, we have got one last opportunity. I do believe it
is the last opportunity to make good on a very simple promise that we
made at the outset of this pandemic. Best of all, we are going to
convert the moneys recovered from the prosecution of fraud into
fairness. That is right, from fraud to fairness. The money that was
fraudulently obtained is rightfully supposed to go to those whom we
hope to benefit if we pass this bill today.
Now, we may not always agree on policy. But, my goodness, I would
like to think that Democrats and Republicans in the United States
Congress can agree on the basic principle of fairness.
That is why I will not urge; rather, I will ask, that my colleagues
vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3807, to vote ``yes'' for American small
businesses, and to vote ``yes'' for fairness.
I yield back the balance of my time, Madam Speaker.
Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, in my hometown of San Francisco, and in so
many places across the country, small businesses are the heart of our
communities.
They are the engines of our economy: creating good-paying jobs,
delivering crucial goods and services, and helping power our historic
economic recovery from the pandemic.
But tragically, when the virus struck two years ago, our small
businesses--and especially our restaurants--were among the hardest hit.
Many were forced to scale back hours. Others had to lay off workers.
And some even closed their doors for good.
That is why Democrats fought for and won billions in economic relief
for our small businesses in COVID relief bills. In our historic
American Rescue Plan, we established the Restaurant Revitalization
Fund: a vital lifeline helping more than 100,000 restaurants reopen and
rehire.
And today, the Democratic Congress will take another strong step to
help our small businesses not only survive--but thrive.
With our Relief for Restaurants and Other Hard Hit Small Businesses
Act, we deliver urgently needed relief to tens of thousands of
businesses struggling in the wake of the latest COVID wave.
We salute Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez of the House Small Business
Committee for her leadership and legislative mastery for the benefit of
small businesses.
And let us thank Congressmen Earl Blumenauer and Dean Phillips for
their tireless, committed leadership on behalf of our nations'
restaurants and small businesses.
While small businesses have been on the path to recovery from the
COVID crisis, the omicron variant sadly interrupted this progress. Now,
many hard-hit businesses are in need of additional support.
Our bill delivers $42 billion to replenish the Restaurant
Revitalization Fund: offering a beacon of hope for the more than
170,000 eligible restaurants that applied for RRF funding last year but
could not access this relief due to oversubscription.
We will also secure $13 billion to support many of our nation's
smallest businesses who saw major revenue losses due to the pandemic.
And we will continue to support the live entertainment venues that
bring rich vibrancy, culture and diversity to our communities: ensuring
they have more flexibility to best make use of their relief funding.
Delivering desperately needed relief for America's small businesses--
the heart and soul of our nation--is an urgent economic imperative.
In doing so, we:
protect good-paying American jobs;
secure the livelihoods of hard-working small business owners; and
ensure families get goods they need, without added costs of delays.
I urge a strong, bipartisan ``aye'' vote for this relief package--so
that our small businesses can continue to flourish and to serve our
communities for generations to come.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of 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.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased that this Congress 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, Madam Speaker, considering that only 8 percent of
restaurants are owned by blacks and 23.8 percent Asian owned businesses
are restaurants. As legislators we must do everything we can to ensure
their survival.
Unfortunately, the funds appropriated from last year's lifeline did
not reach enough of those businesses the Administration prioritized.
Due to the efforts of Republican motivated court challenges, the
prioritization program was ended just three weeks after it was enacted.
Records reviewed by The New York Times show that hundreds of the
24,000 grants made after the rule change went to applicants who were
supposed to have been bumped to the end of the line. During that same
period, the agency canceled at least 3,000 already-approved awards.
Additionally, more than 1,000 successful applicants filed their
claims on or after May 19, the day after the agency said the fund had
effectively run dry.
Countless black owned, veteran owned, and women owned restaurants
were shuttered because of this heartless rule change, so it is
essential we approve this new appropriation.
To further 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 Madam Speaker, I strongly support 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 this critical piece of
legislation as well.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. All time for debate has expired.
Pursuant to House Resolution 1033, the previous question is ordered
on the bill, as amended.
The question is on the engrossment and third reading of the bill.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time, and was
read the third time.
Motion to Recommit
Ms. VAN DUYNE. Madam Speaker, I have a motion to recommit at the
desk.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the motion to
recommit.
The Clerk read as follows:
Ms. Van Duyne moves to recommit the bill H.R. 3807 to the
Committee on Small Business.
The material previously referred to by Ms. Van Duyne is as follows:
Add at the end the following new section:
SEC. 6. EXTENSION OF STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR CERTAIN
COVID-19 PROGRAMS.
(a) Paycheck Protection Program.--Section 7(a)(36) of the
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)(36)) is amended by
adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
[[Page H4413]]
``(W) Statute of limitation.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, any criminal charge or civil enforcement
action alleging that a borrower engaged in fraud with respect
to a covered loan guaranteed under this paragraph shall be
filed not later than 10 years after the offense was
committed.''.
(b) Paycheck Protection Program Second Draw Loans.--Section
7(a)(37) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)(37)) is
amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(P) Statute of limitations.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, any criminal charge or civil enforcement
action alleging that a borrower engaged in fraud with respect
to a covered loan guaranteed under this paragraph shall be
filed not later than 10 years after the offense was
committed.''.
(c) Certain Economic Injury Disaster Loans.--Section 7(b)
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)) is amended by
inserting after paragraph (15) the following new paragraph:
``(16) Statute of limitations.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, any criminal charge or civil enforcement
action alleging that a borrower engaged in fraud with respect
to a loan made under this subsection in response to COVID-19
during the covered period (as defined in section 1110(a) of
the CARES Act) shall be filed not later than 10 years after
the offense was committed.''.
(d) EIDL Advances.--Section 1110(e) of the CARES Act (15
U.S.C. 9009(e)) is amended by adding at the end the following
new paragraph:
``(9) Statute of limitations.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, any criminal charge or civil enforcement
action alleging that a borrower engaged in fraud with respect
to the use of an advance received under this subsection shall
be filed not later than 10 years after the offense was
committed.''.
(e) Targeted EIDL Advances.--Section 331 of the Economic
Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act
(15 U.S.C. 9009b) is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
``(i) Statute of Limitations.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, any criminal charge or civil enforcement
action alleging that a borrower engaged in fraud with respect
to the use of any amount received pursuant to this section
shall be filed not later than 10 years after the offense was
committed.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 2(b) of rule XIX, the
previous question is ordered on the motion to recommit.
The question is on the motion to recommit.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the noes appeared to have it.
Ms. VAN DUYNE. Madam 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 9 of rule XX, this 15-minute vote on the motion to
recommit will be followed by a 5-minute vote on passage of H.R. 3807,
if ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 205,
nays 219, not voting 5, as follows:
[Roll No. 122]
YEAS--205
Aderholt
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Baird
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bentz
Bergman
Bice (OK)
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brady
Brooks
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Budd
Burchett
Burgess
Calvert
Cammack
Carey
Carl
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Cawthorn
Chabot
Cheney
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cole
Comer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
Davidson
Davis, Rodney
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Donalds
Duncan
Dunn
Ellzey
Emmer
Estes
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fitzpatrick
Fleischmann
Foxx
Franklin, C. Scott
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gallagher
Garbarino
Garcia (CA)
Gibbs
Gimenez
Gohmert
Gonzales, Tony
Gonzalez (OH)
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guthrie
Harris
Harshbarger
Hartzler
Hern
Herrell
Herrera Beutler
Hice (GA)
Higgins (LA)
Hill
Hinson
Hollingsworth
Hudson
Huizenga
Issa
Jackson
Jacobs (NY)
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Katko
Keller
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kim (CA)
Kinzinger
Kustoff
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Latta
LaTurner
Lesko
Letlow
Long
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Mace
Malliotakis
Mann
Massie
Mast
McCarthy
McCaul
McClain
McClintock
McHenry
McKinley
Meijer
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (WV)
Miller-Meeks
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Moore (UT)
Mullin
Murphy (NC)
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Obernolte
Owens
Palazzo
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reed
Reschenthaler
Rice (SC)
Rodgers (WA)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rose
Rosendale
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Salazar
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sessions
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Taylor
Tenney
Thompson (PA)
Tiffany
Timmons
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Wagner
Walorski
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Womack
Zeldin
NAYS--219
Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Auchincloss
Axne
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bourdeaux
Bowman
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brown (MD)
Brown (OH)
Brownley
Bush
Bustos
Butterfield
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Cooper
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crist
Crow
Cuellar
Davids (KS)
Davis, Danny K.
Dean
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Delgado
Demings
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Fletcher
Foster
Frankel, Lois
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Golden
Gomez
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Higgins (NY)
Himes
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Huffman
Jackson Lee
Jacobs (CA)
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (TX)
Jones
Kahele
Kaptur
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim (NJ)
Kind
Kirkpatrick
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
Lamb
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawrence
Lawson (FL)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Leger Fernandez
Levin (CA)
Levin (MI)
Lieu
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Luria
Lynch
Malinowski
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Maloney, Sean
Manning
Matsui
McBath
McCollum
McEachin
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Mfume
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Moulton
Mrvan
Murphy (FL)
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Newman
Norcross
O'Halleran
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Perlmutter
Peters
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Price (NC)
Quigley
Raskin
Rice (NY)
Ross
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Sires
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Soto
Spanberger
Speier
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Suozzi
Swalwell
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Vargas
Veasey
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
NOT VOTING--5
Allen
Guest
Sherrill
Walberg
Wittman
{time} 1119
Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Messrs. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania,
McEACHIN, Mses. PINGREE, UNDERWOOD, SCANLON, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Mses.
BROWN of Ohio, DeGETTE, Messrs. RUSH, SCOTT of Virginia, Ms. LEGER
FERNANDEZ, Messrs. PAPPAS, ESPAILLAT, BEYER, and O'HALLERAN changed
their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
Messrs. MOOLENAAR, BIGGS, RESCHENTHALER, WILLIAMS of Texas, PERRY,
DesJARLAIS, PALMER, JACOBS of New York, and LAMBORN changed their vote
from ``nay'' to ``yea.''
So the motion to recommit was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Stated for:
Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I was unable to attend the first vote in
the series on April 7, 2022. Had I been present, I would have voted
``yea'' on rollcall No. 122.
MEMBERS RECORDED PURSUANT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 8, 117TH CONGRESS
Bass (Beyer)
Bilirakis (Fleischmann)
Bowman (Evans)
Cardenas (Soto)
Castro (TX) (Correa)
Cawthorn (Gaetz)
Clark (MA) (Blunt Rochester)
Cleaver (Blunt Rochester)
Cooper (Correa)
Crawford (Fleischmann)
Crenshaw (Ellzey)
Crist (Soto)
Cuellar (Correa)
Doyle, Michael F. (Evans)
Dunn (Salazar)
[[Page H4414]]
Frankel, Lois (Wexton)
Gohmert (Weber (TX))
Gomez (Soto)
Gonzalez (OH) (Armstrong)
Gosar (Gaetz)
Gottheimer (Pallone)
Harder (CA) (Correa)
Harshbarger (Kustoff)
Huffman (Stanton)
Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)
Joyce (OH) (Garbarino)
Kahele (Mrvan)
Katko (Moore (UT))
Khanna (Correa)
Kilmer (Larsen (WA))
Kirkpatrick (Pallone)
Krishnamoorthi (Beyer)
Lawson (FL) (Evans)
Levin (MI) (Garcia (IL))
Long (Fleischmann)
Maloney, Carolyn B. (Jeffries)
McCaul (Ellzey)
Meeks (Jeffries)
Mfume (Evans)
Newman (Garcia (IL))
Owens (Tenney)
Payne (Pallone)
Peters (Jeffries)
Porter (Wexton)
Price (NC) (Butterfield)
Roybal-Allard (Pallone)
Ryan (Beyer)
Schiff (Beyer)
Scott, David (Jeffries)
Sires (Pallone)
Steube (Donalds)
Suozzi (Beyer)
Swalwell (Correa)
Taylor (Jackson)
Wasserman Schultz (Soto)
Watson Coleman (Pallone)
Wilson (SC) (Norman)
(By unanimous consent, Mr. Hoyer was allowed to speak out of order.)
Legislative Program
Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, the Senate has passed, and we have just had
read, the passage of H.R. 7108, which is the Suspending Normal Trading
Relations with Russia and Belarus Act. That passed 100 to zero in the
United States Senate.
We expect at the end of this series of votes for that bill to be on
the floor on suspension. So there will be no break. We will continue to
that.
Thereafter, we expect the Suspending Energy Imports From Russia Act,
which we voted on overwhelmingly, to be sent to us. That is currently
79 to zero in the United States Senate.
We are going to pass both of those bills in this House as soon as we
get them, and it is my expectation that will complete the business for
this week.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Tonko). The question is on the passage
of the bill.
The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that
the ayes appeared to have it.
Mr. LUETKEMEYER. 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.
This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 223,
nays 203, not voting 4, as follows:
[Roll No. 123]
YEAS--223
Adams
Aguilar
Allred
Auchincloss
Axne
Barragan
Bass
Beatty
Bera
Beyer
Bishop (GA)
Blumenauer
Blunt Rochester
Bonamici
Bourdeaux
Bowman
Boyle, Brendan F.
Brown (MD)
Brown (OH)
Brownley
Bush
Bustos
Butterfield
Carbajal
Cardenas
Carson
Carter (LA)
Cartwright
Case
Casten
Castor (FL)
Castro (TX)
Cherfilus-McCormick
Chu
Cicilline
Clark (MA)
Clarke (NY)
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly
Cooper
Correa
Costa
Courtney
Craig
Crist
Crow
Cuellar
Davids (KS)
Davis, Danny K.
Dean
DeFazio
DeGette
DeLauro
DelBene
Delgado
Demings
DeSaulnier
Deutch
Dingell
Doggett
Doyle, Michael F.
Escobar
Eshoo
Espaillat
Evans
Fitzpatrick
Fletcher
Foster
Frankel, Lois
Gallego
Garamendi
Garcia (IL)
Garcia (TX)
Gomez
Gonzalez, Vicente
Gottheimer
Green, Al (TX)
Grijalva
Harder (CA)
Hayes
Herrera Beutler
Higgins (NY)
Horsford
Houlahan
Hoyer
Huffman
Jackson Lee
Jacobs (CA)
Jayapal
Jeffries
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (TX)
Jones
Kahele
Kaptur
Katko
Keating
Kelly (IL)
Khanna
Kildee
Kilmer
Kim (NJ)
Kind
Kinzinger
Kirkpatrick
Krishnamoorthi
Kuster
Lamb
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lawrence
Lawson (FL)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NV)
Leger Fernandez
Levin (CA)
Levin (MI)
Lieu
Lofgren
Lowenthal
Luria
Lynch
Malinowski
Maloney, Carolyn B.
Maloney, Sean
Manning
Matsui
McBath
McCollum
McEachin
McGovern
McNerney
Meeks
Meng
Mfume
Moore (WI)
Morelle
Moulton
Mrvan
Nadler
Napolitano
Neal
Neguse
Newman
Norcross
O'Halleran
Obernolte
Ocasio-Cortez
Omar
Pallone
Panetta
Pappas
Pascrell
Payne
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peters
Phillips
Pingree
Pocan
Porter
Pressley
Price (NC)
Quigley
Raskin
Reed
Ross
Roybal-Allard
Ruiz
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan
Sanchez
Sarbanes
Scanlon
Schakowsky
Schiff
Schneider
Schrader
Schrier
Scott (VA)
Scott, David
Sewell
Sherman
Sherrill
Sires
Slotkin
Smith (WA)
Soto
Spanberger
Speier
Stansbury
Stanton
Stevens
Strickland
Suozzi
Swalwell
Takano
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Titus
Tlaib
Tonko
Torres (CA)
Torres (NY)
Trahan
Trone
Underwood
Vargas
Veasey
Velazquez
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson Coleman
Welch
Wexton
Wild
Williams (GA)
Wilson (FL)
Yarmuth
NAYS--203
Aderholt
Amodei
Armstrong
Arrington
Babin
Bacon
Balderson
Banks
Barr
Bentz
Bergman
Bice (OK)
Biggs
Bilirakis
Bishop (NC)
Boebert
Bost
Brady
Brooks
Buchanan
Buck
Bucshon
Budd
Burchett
Burgess
Calvert
Cammack
Carey
Carl
Carter (GA)
Carter (TX)
Cawthorn
Chabot
Cheney
Cline
Cloud
Clyde
Cole
Comer
Crawford
Crenshaw
Curtis
Davidson
Davis, Rodney
DesJarlais
Diaz-Balart
Donalds
Duncan
Dunn
Ellzey
Emmer
Estes
Fallon
Feenstra
Ferguson
Fischbach
Fitzgerald
Fleischmann
Foxx
Franklin, C. Scott
Fulcher
Gaetz
Gallagher
Garbarino
Garcia (CA)
Gibbs
Gimenez
Gohmert
Golden
Gonzales, Tony
Gonzalez (OH)
Good (VA)
Gooden (TX)
Gosar
Granger
Graves (LA)
Graves (MO)
Green (TN)
Greene (GA)
Griffith
Grothman
Guthrie
Harris
Harshbarger
Hartzler
Hern
Herrell
Hice (GA)
Higgins (LA)
Hill
Himes
Hinson
Hollingsworth
Hudson
Huizenga
Issa
Jackson
Jacobs (NY)
Johnson (LA)
Johnson (OH)
Johnson (SD)
Jordan
Joyce (OH)
Joyce (PA)
Keller
Kelly (MS)
Kelly (PA)
Kim (CA)
Kustoff
LaHood
LaMalfa
Lamborn
Latta
LaTurner
Lesko
Letlow
Long
Loudermilk
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Mace
Malliotakis
Mann
Massie
Mast
McCarthy
McCaul
McClain
McClintock
McHenry
McKinley
Meijer
Meuser
Miller (IL)
Miller (WV)
Miller-Meeks
Moolenaar
Mooney
Moore (AL)
Moore (UT)
Mullin
Murphy (FL)
Murphy (NC)
Nehls
Newhouse
Norman
Owens
Palazzo
Palmer
Pence
Perry
Pfluger
Posey
Reschenthaler
Rice (NY)
Rice (SC)
Rodgers (WA)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rose
Rosendale
Rouzer
Roy
Rutherford
Salazar
Scalise
Schweikert
Scott, Austin
Sessions
Simpson
Smith (MO)
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smucker
Spartz
Stauber
Steel
Stefanik
Steil
Steube
Stewart
Taylor
Tenney
Thompson (PA)
Tiffany
Timmons
Turner
Upton
Valadao
Van Drew
Van Duyne
Wagner
Walberg
Walorski
Waltz
Weber (TX)
Webster (FL)
Wenstrup
Westerman
Williams (TX)
Wilson (SC)
Womack
Zeldin
NOT VOTING--4
Allen
Baird
Guest
Wittman
{time} 1201
Mr. Rice of South Carolina and Mr. Wilson of South Carolina changed
their vote from ``yea'' to ``nay.''
So the bill was passed.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
Stated against:
Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, on April 7, 2022, I missed the vote on H.R.
3807 due to a scheduling conflict. Had I been present, I would have
voted ``nay'' on H.R. 3807, rollcall No. 123.
MEMBERS RECORDED PURSUANT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 8, 117TH CONGRESS
Bass (Beyer)
Bilirakis (Fleischmann)
Bowman (Evans)
Cardenas (Soto)
Castro (TX) (Correa)
Cawthorn (Gaetz)
Clark (MA) (Blunt Rochester)
Cleaver (Blunt Rochester)
Cooper (Correa)
Crawford (Fleischmann)
Crenshaw (Ellzey)
Crist (Soto)
Cuellar (Correa)
Doyle, Michael F. (Evans)
Dunn (Salazar)
Frankel, Lois (Wexton)
Gohmert (Weber (TX))
Gomez (Soto)
Gonzalez (OH) (Armstrong)
Gosar (Gaetz)
Gottheimer (Pallone)
Harder (CA) (Correa)
Harshbarger (Kustoff)
Huffman (Stanton)
Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)
Joyce (OH) (Garbarino)
Kahele (Mrvan)
Katko (Moore (UT))
Khanna (Correa)
Kilmer (Larsen (WA))
Kirkpatrick (Pallone)
Krishnamoorthi (Beyer)
Lawson (FL) (Evans)
Levin (MI) (Garcia (IL))
Long (Fleischmann)
Maloney, Carolyn B. (Jeffries)
McCaul (Ellzey)
Meeks (Jeffries)
Mfume (Evans)
Newman (Garcia (IL))
Owens (Tenney)
Payne (Pallone)
Pelosi (Velazquez)
Peters (Jeffries)
Porter (Wexton)
Price (NC) (Butterfield)
Roybal-Allard (Pallone)
Ryan (Beyer)
Schiff (Beyer)
Scott, David (Jeffries)
Sherrill (Pallone)
Sires (Pallone)
Steube (Donalds)
Suozzi (Beyer)
Swalwell (Correa)
Taylor (Jackson)
Wasserman Schultz (Soto)
Watson Coleman (Pallone)
Wilson (SC) (Norman)
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