House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) visited MMI Culinary in Kenner yesterday to speak about the importance of fully reopening Louisiana businesses and restaurants. Whip Scalise praised the success of the Paycheck Protection Program in assisting local businesses and keeping them afloat during the pandemic. Whip Scalise also touted the progress of states that have eased COVID restrictions as opposed to the shortcomings of states that remain fully locked down.   

On the need to fully reopen small businesses:

“You’ve seen some states go further, and frankly if you look next door in a state like Texas where they’ve opened up a lot earlier than most states in the nation, they’re actually experiencing a lower spread rate of COVID than a state like California who’s still very strongly locked down. I think there’s a lot of lessons to be learned.”

On MMI Culinary's success utilizing the Paycheck Protection Program:

“Mike Maenza and MMI are a real example of how we worked with small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program. There’s some of the other things that we did to help make sure especially in the worst of times that we were able to help keep our small businesses afloat.”

On how reopened businesses can serve as a model to those still struggling:

“I would go and replicate the ones that are doing it well that are opening up.”

Original source can be found here.