March 25, 2020

Association Statement on Senate Passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act

Washington, D.C. – The following is a statement from Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of Public Affairs for the National Restaurant Association on the passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act:

"Restaurants and employees have been community lifelines during the coronavirus crisis—all while dealing with a catastrophic cash flow crunch, massive layoffs, and in too many cases, total shutdowns.

"We applaud President Trump and bipartisan congressional leaders in crafting a relief bill that gives unique recovery options to the restaurant industry. This measure is an important first step to help restaurants weather the storm, take care of our employees, and prepare for when we are given the signal to open our doors once again.

"There are challenges that remain before the restaurant industry, and we look forward to working with federal and state leaders to find solutions to support the cornerstone of every community."

About the National Restaurant Association

Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises more than 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 15.5 million employees. Together with 52 State Associations, we are a network of professional organizations dedicated to serving every restaurant through advocacy, education, and food safety. We sponsor the industry's largest trade show (National Restaurant Association Show); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF's ProStart). For more information, visit Restaurant.org and find @WeRRestaurants on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.