"The top Republican on the Senate Small Business Committee said Democrats are blocking a measure to give federal prosecutors more time to investigate bailouts for restaurants and the live-entertainment industry. Senator Joni Ernst said Senator Ed Markey is holding up her bill that would give investigators until at least 2031 to file charges for defrauding the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund or the $14.5 billion Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program."
""We are not getting a lot of cooperation coming from our Ranking Member, Markey, and the Senate Democrats," Ernst told Business Insider. "I'm not very optimistic that it's going to happen, and it's very, very frustrating." Markey's office declined to respond to a request for comment. Less than two weeks remain for the Senate to pass the legislation, which would enable the bill to move to the president's desk and possibly be signed into law."
Democrats are blocking a bill to extend the statute of limitations to at least 2031 for prosecuting fraud tied to two pandemic aid programs totaling $43.1 billion. The programs are the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund and the $14.5 billion Shuttered Venue Operators Grant. Fewer than two weeks remain for Senate passage to allow presidential signature; some SVOG prosecution deadlines could lapse as soon as April 8. Watchdogs flagged over $200 million in SVOG funds going to celebrities who used taxpayer money for private jets, lavish parties, and luxury clothes. Investigators have not accused those recipients of wrongdoing; many grants were closed by the SBA.
#pandemic-aid-fraud #statute-of-limitations-extension #restaurant-revitalization-fund #shuttered-venue-operators-grant
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