LOCAL RESTAURANTS, JOBLESS NEED HELP

Jump to today’s actions:

Call the Senate
Call the House
Get 2020 Ready

Background

Local, small restaurants are heading towards what an industry coalition calls an “85% extinction event” if they don’t get government help. The small business loans in the CARES Act helped only a handful of truly small restaurants. Oregon’s own Rep. Earl Blumenauer worked with Portland restauranteurs to come up with the RESTAURANT Act. It gives priority to minority- and women-owned restaurants, who make up a much larger share of owners than in any other industry.

The House wrapped the bill into the $2.2billion revised HEROES Act. Now 50 Senators, including 11 Republicans are RESTAURANT Act co-sponsors. It has a good chance of inclusion in an overall relief package.

Meanwhile, Republicans and some Democrats are surprisingly close on unemployment benefits, even though they are miles apart on an overall package. This week Oregon Senators Wyden, rankling Finance Committee member, Merkley and 28 colleagues urged an extension for “additional weeks.” McConnell proposes a 4-week extension to Jan. 31, 2021, with a two-month “phaseout” past Jan. 31st for people already receiving benefits.

We need a longer extension now. Jobs will be scarce long past January 31st. The new Congress will have less than a month to pass another extension.

1. Call the Senate.

Script Oregon Senators

SEN. MERKLEY: Portland office: 503-326-3386 | D.C. office: 202-224-3753

My name is [--] and I'm a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I am calling about two issues today:

The RESTAURANTS Act, which targets relief for local restaurants. Thank you for being a co-sponsor. Now that 49 Senators have joined you, hopefully you can engineer wrapping it into a larger COVID relief package.

CARES Act unemployment programs. I ask you to work for an extension beyond “additional weeks” as described in the letter from 30 Senators which you organized. Given the economic forecasts, they will be needed for additional months, unfortunately. Even Mitch McConnell’s terrible proposal would extend the programs for four weeks plus two months more in a partial “phaseout” program.

Small restaurant owners and unemployed workers have something in common: they are both hanging by a thread, both facing financial extinction. I fully support your strongest efforts to provide them real relief.

SEN. WYDEN: Portland office: 503-326-7525 | D.C. office: 202-224-5244

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I am calling about two issues today:

Thank you for being a co-sponsor of the RESTAURANTS Act, which targets relief for local restaurants. Now that 49 Senators have joined you, hopefully you can engineer wrapping it into a larger COVID relief package.

I ask you to work for an extension of CARES Act unemployment programs beyond “additional weeks” as described in the letter which you and Sen. Wyden organized. Given the economic forecasts, they will be needed for additional months, unfortunately. Even Mitch McConnell’s terrible proposal would extend the programs for four weeks plus two months more in a partial “phaseout” program.

Small restaurant owners and unemployed workers have something in common: they are both hanging by a thread, both facing financial extinction. I fully support your strongest efforts to provide them real relief.

Script for Republican Senators

See if your Senators are co-sponsors here https://bit.ly/3qwwlQH

See state fact sheets on restaurants here https://www.saverestaurants.com/state-fact-sheets/

D.C switchboard: 202-224-3121

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], [state], [zip code].

I am calling to ask your support for two relief provisions: 

Presently 50 Senators, including 11 Republicans, are co-sponsors of the RESTAURANTS Act, which targets relief for local restaurants. Please join them as a co-sponsor if you haven't already.

I ask you to work for an extension of the CARES Act unemployment programs, without phase-outs, beyond January 31st. Given the economic forecasts, they will be needed for additional months, unfortunately.

Small restaurant owners and unemployed workers have something in common: they are both hanging by a thread, both facing financial extinction. Please exert your strongest efforts to provide them real relief.

2. Call the House.

Script for Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)

Oregon office: 503-469-6010 | DC office: 202-225-0855

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I am calling about two issues today, which I fully support being included in any new COVID relief package:

The RESTAURANTS Act, which targets relief for local restaurants. Thank you for voting for its inclusion in the $2.2 billion HEROES Act.

Given the economic forecasts, CARES Act unemployment programs will be needed for several additional months, unfortunately.

Small restaurant owners and unemployed workers have something in common: they are both hanging by a thread, both facing financial extinction. Please exert your strongest efforts to provide them real relief.

Script for Greg Walden (OR-02)

Medford office: 541-776-4646 | DC office: 202-225-6730

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I am calling to ask you to support two provisions in any new COVID relief bill:

The RESTAURANTS Act, which targets relief for local restaurants.

Given the economic forecasts, CARES Act unemployment programs will be needed for several additional months, unfortunately.

Small restaurant owners and unemployed workers have something in common: they are both hanging by a thread, both facing financial extinction. Please exert your strongest efforts to provide them real relief.

Script for Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)

Oregon office: 503-231-2300 | DC office: 202-225-4811

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I am calling about two issues today, which I fully support being included in any new COVID relief package:

The RESTAURANTS Act, which you authored and so skillfully led to inclusion in the $2.2 billion HEROES Act. Thank you so much for your leadership.

Given the economic forecasts, CARES Act unemployment programs will be needed for several additional months, unfortunately.

Small restaurant owners and unemployed workers have something in common: they are both hanging by a thread, both facing financial extinction. l fully support your strongest efforts to provide them real relief.

Script for Peter DeFazio (OR-04)

Eugene office: 541-465-6732 | DC office: 202-225-6416

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I am calling about two issues today, which I fully support being included in any new COVID relief package:

The RESTAURANTS Act, which targets relief for local restaurants. Thank you for voting for its inclusion in the $2.2 billion HEROES Act.

Given the economic forecasts, CARES Act unemployment programs will be needed for several additional months, unfortunately.

Small restaurant owners and unemployed workers have something in common: they are both hanging by a thread, both facing financial extinction. Please exert your strongest efforts to provide them real relief.

Script for Kurt Schrader (OR-05)

Salem office: 503-588-9100 | DC office: 202-225-5711

My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon [zip code].

I was disappointed that you did not support the revised HEROES Act. I am calling today to ask you to reconsider two specific issues, which I fully support being included in any new COVID relief package:

The RESTAURANTS Act, which targets relief for local restaurants.

Given the economic forecasts, CARES Act unemployment programs will be needed for several additional months, unfortunately.

Small restaurant owners and unemployed workers have something in common: they are both hanging by a thread, both facing financial extinction. Please exert your strongest efforts to provide them real relief.

Look up your rep.

3. Save the Senate: GA Run-Offs in January.

Georgia on your mind? We know you're excited to get to work on the upcoming Senate elections in Georgia.

Indivisible Oregon is partnering with Swing Left to write letters and with Reclaim Our Vote to make phone calls. (Reclaim Our Vote postcards are finished, but they are ow making crucial calls to Georgia voters in rural areas who are likely to have been disenfranchised.). Go to https://www.indivisibleor.org/events for information about how to join with us.

Also, those on the ground in Georgia need money. You can donate to:

GA SENATE CAMPAIGNS, which will distribute your contribution among the two Senate campaigns and Fair Fight: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/georgiasenate
RECLAIM OUR VOTE, which is reaching hard-to-reach voters in rural Georgia: https://actionnetwork.org/fundraising/reclaim-our-vote-preparing-for-2020-fundraising-campaign/
RAPHAEL WARNOCK CAMPAIGN: https://warnockforgeorgia.com/
JON OSSOFF CAMPAIGN: https://electjon.com/
FAIR FIGHT GEORGIA SENATE https://GASenate.com