Rep. Susie Lee on House Floor: “We need to support the venues and the workers that make our magical town the number one destination in the country.”

February 26, 2021

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (Nev.-03) spoke on the House floor in support of the American Rescue Plan. In particular, she highlighted the relief the package provides to hospitality, tourism, and entertainment businesses and workers who make up the backbone of southern Nevada's economy and whose livelihoods have been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The following is a transcript of Rep. Lee's remarks:

I rise today on behalf of my hometown, Las Vegas.

What comes to mind when I say Las Vegas?

Bright lights, slot machines, big shows, massive conventions, and showgirls
with those iconic big feather headpieces. It's a magical place.

But the glitz and glamour doesn't happen on its own. Even though it feels
that way, it's not magic.

It's the result of the hard work of thousands of Nevadans working in the entertainment, tourism and hospitality industry. I'm talking about the Vegas performers, ticket takers, stage managers, convention workers, and bartenders.

To them, Vegas isn't a weekend getaway or a drunken cliché. It's their livelihood, which sadly has been gutted by the COVID pandemic.

Many of them don't have jobs to go back to because the industry can't thrive when people aren't traveling. They're stuck until the pandemic is over. And because of that, we need to help get them through this moment.

The American Rescue Plan includes hundreds of billions for small businesses, laid off workers, and direct aid to families and communities, including $23 billion to support the travel and tourism industry and $1.25 billion in targeted relief for live venues.

We need to support the venues and the workers that make our magical town the #1 destination in the country.

And we can do that by passing the American Rescue Plan.

The American Rescue Plan includes:

$350 billion in direct aid to states, including over $4 billion in direct aid for Nevada;
Direct stimulus payments of $1,400 per individual and $500 per dependent for working families;
Expanding emergency unemployment relief to include an additional $400/week in benefits through August 2021;
$25 billion for independent restaurants,
$23 billion to support the travel and tourism industry;
$1.25 billion in targeted relief for live venues;
$14 billion for vaccine administration and distribution;
$130 billion for K-12 schools;
$40 billion for higher education;
$35 billion for housing and rental assistance;
$39 billion for child care, and more.

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