Members of Congress Petition Biden For More Small Business COVID Relief

Members of Congress are urging Biden to pass a targeted small business relief package for industries that were hit the hardest by the Omicron Surge. Programs such as the Restaurant Revitalization Fund and Shuttered Venue Operators Grants program are being pushed to reopen. Businesses that did not receive initial funding and those that need a second round of funding would both be eligible.

It is further being asked that at-risk sectors centered on in-person gatherings be made eligible for federal assistance. This includes travel and fitness industries and businesses that offer indoor recreation and group activities.

The petitioners are concerned with two things: (1) that a surge in business closures may aggravate the high prices that communities are already facing and (2) That reduced in-person gatherings may have led to a large number of business closures and that a post-Omicron demand for them in the spring in company with significant new supply constraints is an issue that could arise.

The last request made was that the American Rescue Plan’s tax credits available to small businesses to cover earned sick leave benefits for employees affected by COVID-19 be extended.

Two other popular relief programs, PPP and EIDL, have already wound down. The EIDL program just came to a close at the end of January.