Ruiz Pushes for Expedited Relief for Small Business Owners, Venue Operators
Washington, D.C. – This week, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) called on the Small Business Administration (SBA) to speed up distribution of funding through the American Rescue Plan's Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Program (SVOG). Ruiz joined fellow Members of the House of Representatives in writing to the SBA urging them to expedite the release of funds from the SVOG program to venue operators after delays in funding distribution.
"The slow pace [of funding distribution] is becoming increasingly untenable for the small businesses in our districts. Their banks have threatened to call in the full amount of small business loans, they do not have the funds to pay their landlords full rent, and they cannot retain staff," Ruiz and the Members wrote. "We are hearing from venue operators who are days away from closing their doors if these funds are not sent soon. These small businesses not only provide good jobs and contribute economically to our local communities, they contribute to the spirit and local culture as well. We must act now."
SVOG funding is crucial to the economic recovery of venue operators in the 36th District and across the country.
"For a small, independent movie theater like the Mary Pickford and Fox Cineplex, the SVOG is basically the difference between keeping great summer films on our screens, entertaining our community while they escape from the heat, or turning off the lights and saying goodbye to 70 wonderful employees, many who have been with us for years," said Damon Rubio, owner of the Mary Pickford theater in Cathedral City and the Fox Cineplex theater in Banning.
In March, Ruiz voted in support of the American Rescue Plan to secure critical relief funding for small business owners. According to the Office of Disaster Assistance, as of June 9, the SBA has only approved 90 grants out of the over 14,000 applications submitted, and nearly two-thirds of the applications have not yet reached the review stage.
You can read Ruiz's letter calling for expedited SVOG funds here.
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