A bipartisan group of lawmakers is calling on Congress to provide an additional $60 billion in aid to restaurants and bars after the initial relief fund sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic ran dry, The Hill reported. Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) introduced a bill Thursday that would provide an additional $60 billion to the $28.6 billion in restaurant relief funds included in the American Rescue Plan that President Biden signed in March. “Our restaurants are now beginning to recover from a year of lost revenue, but many establishments are still hurting and have not been able to access aid for which they are eligible,” Wicker said in a statement. “Replenishing this fund would help restaurants, their staff, and the broader food supply chain as they continue to get back on their feet.” Reps. Brain Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) are leading the effort on the House side. Lawmakers said that restaurants need more support to survive the pandemic, which has caused more than 90,000 establishments to close their doors, according to the National Restaurant Association.
