The Perishable Food and Beverage Coalition announced its support this week for the Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act of 2021 (S-477/HR-1346), introduced by Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Reps Steven Horsford (D-NV) and Darin LaHood (R-IL).
The bill provides much-needed support to America’s hospitality industry, a massive sector of the economy employing tens of millions of Americans, which has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic., PFBC said.
The PFBC comprises 20 national trade organizations, whose members represent a broad spectrum of businesses across the nation that operate in the food, beverage, grocery, entertainment, restaurant, vending and unattended retail industries. The National Automatic Merchandising Association is among its members.
The Perishable Food and Beverage Coalition sent letters to both House and Senate leadership supporting the legislation. It reads:
“The nation’s hospitality industry has been decimated by the pandemic. Business owners and hospitality industry employees have been some of the hardest hit by restaurant closures, event cancellations and restricted travel due to COVID-19. When the pandemic forced an abrupt halt last March, countless perishable food and beverage products were left stranded at restaurants, bars, entertainment venues, sports arenas and more. As shutdowns continued, small businesses suffered significant losses in spoiled inventory that could no longer be sold or repurposed for charity. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Kevin Cramer and Representatives Steven Horsford and Darin LaHood understand the devastating impact of the pandemic on hospitality sector businesses across America and are working to address the needs of these businesses by introducing the Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act of 2021. This legislation will provide much-needed tax relief to small businesses nationwide that suffered massive losses as a result of this unparalleled spoilage of food and beverage products.”
