Restaurant Aid Bill Proposes Barring Wage Violators From Funds

Restaurants wouldn’t qualify for revitalization money that the U.S. House passed Thursday if they have recorded wage violations, an effort from House Democrats to crack down on restaurants and other establishments that underpay workers.

The House voted 223-203 to pass a bill (H.R. 3807) that would provide restaurants $42 billion in relief to refill the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, a lifeline during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. It would also provide a new source—$13 billion total—for small businesses that were also substantially impacted.

But a manager’s amendment to the bill would ban purveyors from receiving money from the ...