Jul. 17, 2020
UNIONTOWN – Given the additional limitations Gov. Tom Wolf placed on restaurants and bars just this week, Rep. Matthew Dowling (R-Fayette/Somerset) disagrees with Wolf’s request for a financial bailout from the federal government.
Today, Wolf implored Congress to provide $120 billion to restaurants in response to the COVID-19 pandemic via the Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed to Survive (RESTAURANTS) Act.
“Restaurants can not only operate safely, the workers who run them want to do that. They don’t want to be bailed out,” Dowling said. “I recognize the need to financially support our restaurants, as they are forced to operate under the governor’s edict. While we can agree that restaurants need support, money is not the support that would be most beneficial right now. They need to be able to operate so they can stay in business.”
Just Wednesday, the governor further limited restaurant operations by prohibiting indoor occupancy greater than 25%, including staff.
“Restaurants can’t be profitable by operating at that level, and many can’t even make their bills with such low occupancy. So, it’s easy to understand why so many people are calling Wolf’s actions a socialist move – especially since restaurants can operate in a manner much closer to normal while following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” Dowling added. “Pennsylvania’s restaurants could be opening in a free market, capitalistic way, while doing so safely, but the governor doesn’t seem to want that.”
“Not to mention, any federal aid that’s disbursed increases our national debt. It hurts our economy at a time when there’s already so much uncertainty. The people want to work, and allowing them to do that safely would be so much better than continuing to hand out money we don’t have.”
Representative Matt Dowling
51st Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives