Duckworth Statement on Failed Vote to Bring Critical Relief to Small Businesses

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), member of the U.S. Senate Small Business & Entrepreneurship Committee, today released the following statement after Senate Republicans blocked the passage of the Small Business COVID Relief Act, which failed on a vote of 52-43. This legislation would have provided critical relief to restaurants, live event venues and other small businesses, including fitness facilities as a result of the legislation including provisions of the Senator’s GYMs Act.

“I’m incredibly disappointed that Senate Republicans blocked this bipartisan effort to support neighborhood small businesses,” Duckworth said. “Among the restaurants, venues, fitness facilities and other small businesses that managed to survive the deadly pandemic, far too many are struggling to achieve the same scale and capacity they had pre-pandemic, which is why this legislation was critically needed. I’ll keep working to do what I can to support our Illinois small businesses working to recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic.”

As a member of the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee, Duckworth has been a strong supporter of providing restaurants with critical relief throughout the pandemic. Duckworth is a co-sponsor of U.S. Senator and Small Business Committee Chair Ben Cardin (D-MD)’s Continuing Emergency Support for Restaurants Act, as well as Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s (D-AZ) Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act. Last year Duckworth introduced the Gym Mitigation and Survival (GYMs) Act, bipartisan legislation to provide much-needed assistance for gyms, fitness facilities and studios. Duckworth was also a co-sponsor of the RESTAURANTS Act, provisions of which were included in the American Rescue Plan.

-30-