{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://gabbard.house.gov/news/press-releases/rep-tulsi-gabbard-cosponsors-bill-help-independent-restaurants-devastated", "Rep. Tulsi Gabbard Cosponsors Bill to Help Independent Restaurants Devastated by Coronavirus Crisis", "2020-08-05", "2020", "2020-08", "Democrat", "House", "HI", "Tulsi Gabbard", "G000571", "gabbard.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DCYesterday, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) cosponsored H.R.7197, the Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed To Survive (RESTAURANTS) Act. This bipartisan bill would help independent restaurants through the end of 2020 as they continue to be impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.\n\nNearly 100,000 Hawaii residents work in the independent restaurant industry which continues to be hammered hard by the coronavirus crisis. That puts enormous strain on them and their families to make ends meet and for these businesses to stay afloat. Our local restaurants are valued members of our community and this legislation provides assistance both to employees and independent restaurant owners to weather the storm of this pandemic,said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard.\n\nIndependent restaurants directly employ 11 million workers and indirectly employ 5 million more up and down the food and hospitality supply. They are particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic due to the nature of how the virus spreads and the required physical distancing measures that prevent it. In Hawaii, nearly 100,000 people are employed by such restaurants  nearly 15% of the workforce  and they account for billions in sales.\n\nThe bill would establish a $120 billion restaurant revitalization fund at the Department of Treasury. Funding under the program would be available to food service or drinking establishments that are not publicly traded or part of a chain with 20 or more locations doing business under the same name. The grant values would cover the difference between revenues from 2019 and projected revenues through 2020. The first 14 days of the grant's availability is only available to restaurants with annual revenues of $1.5 million or fewer, ensuring that the smallest restaurants are prioritized. Additionally, the legislation directs $60 million of administrative funding toward outreach and engagement to restaurants owned and operated by women, Veterans, and people of color.\n\nEligible expenses include: payroll (not including employee compensation exceeding $100,000/year), benefits, mortgage, rent, utilities, maintenance, supplies (including protective equipment and cleaning materials), food, debt obligations to suppliers, and any other expenses deemed essential by the Secretary of the Treasury. Recipients must certify that current economic conditions make the grant request necessary, that the funds will be used to retain workers, maintain payroll, and make other payments, and that the recipient is only applying for and would only receive one grant.\n\n\n\tBackground:Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and her team have been working since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis to bring more resources home to Hawaii, while also keeping Hawaii residents informed through a resource hub on her website, regular e-newsletter updates, and virtual town hall events including public officials and community leaders to provide updates and directly answer constituent questions.\n\t\n\tProtecting and Providing for Americans During the Crisis\n\t\n\tIn early March, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard introduced H.Res.897, a resolution that would provide an emergency non-taxable Universal Basic Payment to all adult Americans until COVID-19 no longer presents a public health emergency. She was the earliest Member of Congress to introduce legislation for a Universal Basic Income-like payment as a temporary economic stimulus package to directly and immediately help Americans as they weather this crisis.\n\t\n\tIn March, working with Hawaii's Congressional Delegation, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard sent two letters calling on President Trump to support Hawaii's request for medical equipment, supplies and resources for the state.\n\t\n\tIn April, she introduced H.R.6609 with Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) which directs the President to use the Defense Production Act (DPA) to acquire and manufacture necessary components, materials, and supplies to conduct molecular and serological COVID-19 medical testing nationwide.\n\t\n\tIn May, she introduced H.R.6809, the Nurse Workforce Protection Act, with Rep. Rodney Davis (IL-13). The bipartisan bill would prevent a healthcare provider receiving COVID-19 federal assistance from furloughing, reducing the salary, or reducing the hours of its nurses more than 25% as well as prevent them from forcing them to use paid vacation days.\n\t\n\tShe has fought to make sure that Economic Stimulus Payments get to individuals quickly. She called for a rule change to enable recipients of Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and non-taxable VA benefits (VA Disability Compensation and Veterans Pension) to more easily obtain their recovery rebates. She also called upon the Department of the Treasury to to prohibit financial institutions from garnishing the economic impact payments to pay debts owed, ensuring that taxpayers receive their direct cash payments as Congress intended. She continues to advocate for a monthly direct basic payment to continue for as long as this healthcare crisis continues.\n\t\n\tRep. Tulsi Gabbard has continued to work to make sure that much-needed medical supplies, testing, and personal protective equipment (PPE) are readily available and sent a letter requesting that the Trump Administration prioritize working with our trading partners to ensure medical providers can obtain needed equipment quickly. She also sent a letter to the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services calling for the Departments to ensure access to PPE for essential childcare providers.\n\t\n\tAfter slamming the Administration for their now-rescinded decision to implement a hard stop at 89 days of duty in late May, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard sent a letter to the President, Secretary of Defense, and Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator demanding that the National Guard personnel  who have been critical in the fight against COVID-19 nationwide  receive the benefits to which they are entitled.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\tNoting the unique vulnerability of nursing home residents during this public health emergency, on June 5, Rep. Gabbard called upon Heath and Human Services Secretary Azar and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Verma to address the needs of nursing homes for testing kits, personal protective equipment (PPE), and sufficient staff to respond to the pandemic.\n\t\n\tIn March and early April, she cosponsored H.Res.908, a resolution which draws attention to the increased anti-Asian bigotry being witnessed during the coronavirus crisis and calls on the Federal government to work with state and local law enforcement to confront and prosecute hate crimes related to this. She recently joined her colleagues in the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) to urge the Administration to make translated materials available on all official federal websites that have information related to COVID-19 and any of the benefits programs created to address this pandemic to ensure that everyone has access to these resources.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\tSecuring Emergency Funding\n\t\n\tOn May 15, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard voted to pass H.R.6800, the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act. Though she expressed grave concerns with the massive bill and how it was put together, she supported the legislation because it would provide urgently needed aid to state and local governments to improve testing and tracing efforts as well as another direct stimulus payment to Americans. In particular, the bill provides support to Counties in Hawaii that had not received direct assistance in past emergency legislation. It also closed loopholes and clarified discrepancies in previous emergency funding bills.\n\t\n\tThe HEROES Act would also fund personal protective equipment (PPE) purchases for frontline workers as well as hazard pay to essential and frontline workers. The bill would ensure smaller businesses get relief resources, extends the $600/week Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation as well as the Pandemic Extended Unemployment Compensation for gig economy employees. Finally, it included Native Hawaiians in funding provisions for education, employment as contact tracers, mortgage payment assistance, and housing block grants.\n\t\n\tTo date, Congress has passed 5 emergency funding bills that have been signed into law:\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\tS.4116, a bill that would extend the Paycheck Protection Program lending deadline from June 30 to August 8 (on July 1)\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tH.R.6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (on March 4)\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tH.R.6201, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (on March 14)\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tH.R.748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (on March 27)\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tH.R.266, the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (on April 23)\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tH.R.7010, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (May 28)\n\t\t\n\t \n\tThe Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act provided urgently needed, immediate funds to help with the initial impact of the virus on America. Rep. Gabbard voted to pass this bill which included funds for 14 community health centers in Hawaii which received more than $750,000 combined in support.\n\t\n\tNext, she voted to pass the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to provide free testing for COVID-19, two weeks of paid sick leave, up to three months paid family and medical leave, unemployment insurance for furloughed workers, food security for those who rely on food stamps, student meals, senior nutrition plans, and food banks, and increase federal Medicaid funds for local, state, tribal and territorial governments and health systems.\n\t\n\tThe CARES Act included direct cash payments to Americans, assistance for those who are out of work due to the outbreak, funding for small businesses, hospitals, and health care workers, and state and local governments. The bill's funding for state and local governments included at least $1.2 billion for Hawaii. Though the bill included Rep. Gabbard's idea for a direct benefit payment to support Americans reeling from the pandemic's impact, it fell short of the full scope suggested in her legislation, H.Res.897, and she urged Congress to do more.\n\t\n\tIn late April, Rep. Gabbard traveled to Washington, D.C. in the middle of the pandemic to vote on the fourth COVID-19 emergency funding bill. While carefully adhering to physical distancing rules and additional health precautions taken by House leadership, she voted to pass the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. The bill provided $310 billion to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program  including $30 billion set aside for community-based lenders, small banks and credit unions and $30 billion for medium-sized banks and credit unions. The bill also included $50 billion for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and clarifies that small farms are eligible for this funding. Finally, the bill also addressed the continuing public health crisis by providing $75 billion in funding to support hospitals and frontline healthcare workers, including funding for PPE, as well as $25 billion for COVID-19 testing.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\tAt the beginning of July, the House passed S.4116, a bill that extended the Paycheck Protection Program lending deadline from June 30 to August 8. The bill was signed into law by the President in the following days.\n\t\n\tIn the weeks following the passage of the CARES Act, Hawaii received over $142 million in emergency funds to help support healthcare providers. This included more than $10 million in additional funds to the 14 community health centers which received funds after the first emergency bill as well as $132 million to other healthcare providers across the State to help cover the costs they are incurring due to the crisis. However, this $132 million came with the stipulation that these healthcare providers may not engage in surprise billing of patients they have treated for COVID-19.\n\t\n\tAlso, Hawaii received over $107 million in funds through the CARES Act to support public transportation systems, community public health infrastructure, and housing for vulnerable communities by way of Federal Transit Authority grants, Community Block Development Grants (CDBGs), and the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS program.\n\t\n\tBy mid-April, the CARES Act continued to yield funds for Hawaii, including an estimated $88 million for educational purposes and over $133 million for its airports. The educational funds will help support K-12 schools as well as colleges and universities. This includes a separate fund of $154 million for the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Also in April, FEMA announced another round of disaster relief funds, $100 million available to all 50 States and U.S. Territories.\n\t\n\tCalls for Preventative Measures\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\tIn early April, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard called for the resignation of Hawaii Department of Health officials Bruce Anderson and Dr. Sarah Park because of their repeated failures that put the health, lives and well-being of the people of Hawaii at risk. She added that should they refuse to step down, Governor Ige should fire them.\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\tIn July, with COVID-19 cases once again on the rise and reaching record numbers in several states, including Hawaii, she called on Governor Ige to continue the 14-day quarantine in effect for trans-Pacific travelers. The surge of COVID-19 infections saw a return to hospitals strained to the brink to treat new cases as well as a shortage in testing reagents, personal protective equipment, and medical supplies. The quarantine measure was set to be eased on August 1, but in the days following Rep. Gabbard's statement and concerns raised by Hawaii's Mayors, the Governor decided to keep the protective measures in place through the end of August.\n\t\n\tAbout Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is serving her fourth term in the United States House representing Hawaii's Second District, and serves on the House Armed Services and Financial Services Committees. She previously served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Homeland Security Committee. She was elected to the Honolulu City Council in 2010, and prior to that at age 21, was elected to the Hawaii State Legislature in 2002, becoming the youngest person ever elected in the state. Tulsi Gabbard has served in the Hawaii Army National Guard for over 17 years, is a veteran of two Middle East deployments, and continues to serve as a Major. Learn more about Rep. Tulsi Gabbard...\n\t\n\tFollow Rep. Tulsi Gabbard on social media:\n\t###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://gabbard.house.gov/news/press-releases/rep-tulsi-gabbard-cosponsors-bill-help-independent-restaurants-devastated"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8194511756300926, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}