Senate to test waters on money for restaurants, small businesses

Signatories included a number of craft brewers, wineries and distillers, food delivery services DoorDash and Chow Now, and big trade groups such as the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States and the Beer Institute. They cited the personal debts many business owners have taken on during the pandemic, as well as the rising cost of wages and supplies like cooking oil, meat and dairy products.

‘Rip-roaring’ inflation

Paul gave a blistering floor speech Tuesday in opposition to both the $40 billion Ukraine aid package that the Senate’s expected to clear Thursday and the even more expensive small-business aid bill. Rather than combat inflation, more industry support would simply exacerbate price increases, he argued.

“Now these same big spenders are proposing another $50 billion … to bail out restaurants — restaurants that have been primarily injured by overzealous Democrat governors and their edicts,” Paul said. “There are ramifications to this mountain of debt. Make no mistake: Inflation is here and it’s rip-roaring and on the rise.”

Cardin and Wicker, however, invoked the deficit-financed Ukraine package as they urged colleagues to help businesses struggling here at home.

“This funding is absolutely necessary,” Cardin and Wicker said of the Ukraine aid. “However, we must remember that small businesses in the United States also need our help. The legislation we have proposed would help our small businesses keep their doors open.”