Pappas Advocates for NH Restaurants on Small Business Caucus Briefing

Today, Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), a small business owner and Co-Chair of the bipartisan House Small Business Caucus, led a briefing alongside Rep. Kevin Hern (OK-01) about the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a program created through the American Rescue Plan - which Rep. Pappas supported and helped pass in March.

Rep. Pappas kicked off the briefing, which included representatives from the National Restaurant Association, Independent Restaurant Coalition, and International Franchise Association, by sharing his experiences as a small business owner and highlighting his priorities for strengthening this and other vital small business support programs. Demand for the $28.6 billion program has been strong, and today's conversation centered on the need for continued bipartisan efforts to support our nation's restaurants.

"If you've worked in a restaurant, you know that every day is an all hands on deck kind of day," said Congressman Pappas. "When the pandemic hit, we needed an all hands on deck effort to get resources and support to Main Street so it could survive. That's why the relief that has been authorized on a bipartisan basis over the last 14 months was so critical. As we move forward, I'm committed to providing additional resources to small businesses, while working to strengthen and improve existing support programs so they meet the needs of local businesses. I want to thank my Co-Chair Congressman Hern for leading the first Small Business Caucus briefing of the 117th Congress with me today. I look forward to working in a bipartisan fashion to help small businesses not only weather the storm of this pandemic but thrive in the future."

"Restaurants are some of the hardest-hit businesses during COVID-19, and they're still struggling to return to normal operations," said Congressman Hern. "My co-chair Rep. Chris Pappas and I know more about the hardships of restaurant owners than most in Congress, which is why I'm glad to work with him to find a bipartisan path forward for our restaurants and small businesses. This is exactly what the Small Business Caucus is about – moving past politics to help small businesses across America."

Rep. Pappas joined the event remotely from The Antique Center, a small business in downtown Laconia.

Background:

Since taking office, Pappas has been stalwart in his support of New Hampshire's 136,535 small businesses, which employ 300,628 Granite Staters.

In February, Pappas launched his Small Business Workshops series, which will bring together small business owners, government agencies, and local entities to foster collaboration, answer questions, and provide resources to assist New Hampshire's small business community.

In April, the workshop focused on women business owners, and in the coming months, Pappas will host additional Small Business Workshops focused on rural development, workforce development, access to capital, and more.

Pappas supported the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which created the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) which has retained or saved nearly 120,000 Granite State jobs.

Pappas also voted in support of the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan, which established a Restaurant Revitalization Fund, provided $15 billion for additional EIDL Advance direct grants, and extended the Employee Retention Tax Credit.