Press Releases
Rep. Cartwright Announces $10.7 Million in COVID-19 Relief Funds Approved for Local VenuesRep. Cartwright Helped Pass American Rescue Plan to Save Jobs and Create Opportunities at Local Venues
Scranton, PA,
August 11, 2021
Scranton, PA – Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced 12 venues in Pennsylvania’s 8th District will receive a total of $10.7 million from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG) program. Rep. Cartwright voted to establish the program through COVID-19 relief compromise passed in December 2020, then enhance it by helping pass the American Rescue Plan. The fund supports businesses in the music and entertainment industries that had to shut their doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have a rich culture of arts and music here in Northeastern Pennsylvania, but many of the businesses in those industries are hurting because of the pandemic,” said Rep. Cartwright. “Establishing the fund specifically for venue businesses was a critical first step, and now businesses are starting to see that money hit their bank accounts. I’ve been working hard to ensure that the Shuttered Venue Operators Grants program gets people in the music and entertainment industry back in good-paying jobs so they can put food on the table and take part in our economic revitalization.” Background: The Small Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) program was established through the bipartisan COVID-19 relief package passed in December 2020. In March 2021, Rep. Cartwright passed the American Rescue Plan to secure an additional $16 billion for shuttered venues in order to keep businesses afloat and employees on the payroll. The American Rescue Plan also instituted a fix to ensure shuttered venues that received Paycheck Protection Program loans after Dec. 27th, 2020 can also receive a Small Venue Operators grant, as long as the grant is reduced by the amount of PPP funds provided. Applying for both grant programs was previously prohibited. The following businesses were awarded SVOG funding in Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District:
|