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Congressman Cohen Urges Small Business Administration to Implement Shuttered Venue Operators Grants

April 20, 2021

In a letter with colleagues, encourages immediate start of the program

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) joined a bipartisan, bicameral letter to Administrator Isabella Guzman encouraging the Small Business Administration (SBA) to implement the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) emergency relief program Congress established to keep small businesses such as local music venues, movie theaters, museums and zoos across the country open and operating.

The letter reads in part:

"The Administration's recent announcement that it is ‘aiming to reopen the portal by the end of next week' is encouraging, and we urge the Administration to make every effort to meet this goal. As you correctly point out, ‘this funding is urgently needed now.' With each passing day, more independent businesses are forced to shutter permanently or file for bankruptcy. Landlords and banks are no longer permitting deferrals and are pressing for immediate payment of past due account; businesses are receiving eviction notices; mom and pop businesses are being forced to sell. The Administration's announcement is critical to these businesses as they work to meet existing debt obligations during these unprecedented times."

See the entire letter here.