Formatting necessary for an accurate reading of this text may be shown by tags (e.g., <DELETED> or <BOLD>) or may be missing from this TXT display. For complete and accurate display of this text, see the PDF.
[Pages S5481-S5482]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
Save our Stages Act
Madam President, now a final matter. The new Republican bill is
silent on a whole host of crucial issues, including a number of items
that affect small businesses.
Over the State work period, I visited several independent music and
theater venues that have struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic. Live
venues were some of the first to close, and they will be the last to
open up. Many of them are already on the brink of collapse. There is
the rent, the utilities, and an entire year without revenue.
Live venues--by definition, people are close together, so they
couldn't continue during COVID, and they have to wait until the very
end. But they are so important to so many communities--urban, suburban,
and rural.
Unfortunately, according to one survey, 90 percent of independent
venues will have to close permanently without Federal funding. What an
incredible shame that would be. These are indie music venues, jazz
clubs, symphony orchestra halls, comedy clubs, and even Broadway, which
is made up of dozens of small theaters that employ thousands of
workers, from the box office to the backstage. These independent venues
provide 75 percent of all artists' income, and they drive economic
activity within our communities at restaurants, hotels, stores, and
other establishments.
But what we risk if these venues close permanently isn't purely
economic, although it is so important. I was in Albany and Syracuse
yesterday. It is estimated that the arts are one of the top five
employers in both of those cities. We can't afford to let this happen.
Economically, we will lose thousands and thousands of jobs. Cities will
lose city downtowns, and rural areas, as well, will lose their
vitality.
The risk, if these venues close permanently, is not just economic.
They are the very fabric of our society, which has been stretched to
the breaking point by this crisis. Once this is all over, we will need
these venues and the passionate, inspiring, artistic work that they
help make possible as we come together again and try to make sense of
this incredibly difficult moment in our history.
We have a bipartisan bill--Save Our Stages Act--that would create a
new
[[Page S5482]]
$10-billion SBA program to provide Federal grants to live-venue
operators so that when, God willing, these live stages can reopen
safely, these venues can come back bigger and better than ever. Those
grants would go for 6 months, giving the venues enough time and
breathing room to recuperate, and, God willing, if there is a vaccine
in 6 months, they will be able, God willing, to open again.
One of the most difficult parts of this pandemic has been the effect
on American society, arts, and culture. These are the things we live
for: sports, comedy, theater, and music. When the day finally comes
that the pandemic is behind us, we will want to celebrate once again
with friends and family at these venues now in danger of closing.
I hope we can come together in the future to pass the Save Our Stages
Act and save this essential part of American culture.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip
