Bipartisan group of lawmakers push for billions in additional aid for Restaurant Revitalization Fund

A federal fund to help restaurants and bars slammed by the coronavirus pandemic got three times as many requests as it had money to support. Now, a group of lawmakers wants to refill the pot with an additional $60 billion in COVID relief money. 

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund, part of the American Rescue Plan passed in March, provided $28.6 billion for businesses impacted by the pandemic. But more than 362,000 eligible businesses ended up applying for nearly $75 billion in assistance through the program during the program's window for applications — less than a month. A group of lawmakers is calling for more than double the fund's original amount to replenish it, which Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona said will help fuel a full economic recovery. The lawmakers say the funding would not only cover the outstanding existing applications for the relief program, but also allow the Small Business Administration to continue outreach to businesses affected by the pandemic.