GEORGE SANTOS JOINS LIST OF LAWMAKERS CALLING ON THE GOVERNOR AND MAYOR TO ALLOW INDOOR DINING IN NEW YORK CITY

New York’s 3rd Congressional District, September 3, 2020 – Queens patrons are forced to drive into Nassau County to dine inside, which takes away money from their own neighborhoods and adds to the plight of local economies. NY-3 Congressional candidate George Santos, Queens Borough President candidate Joann Ariola, and Queens restaurateurs will call for indoor dining in NYC in front of Il Bacco Ristorante at 1pm EST. Il Bacco owners Tina and Joe Oppedisano recently filed a class action lawsuit against the city and the state on behalf of restaurant owners, seeking an annulment to the indoor dining ban and more than $2 billion in damages.

“Restaurant owners should be able to open their doors once again for indoor dining. Restaurants throughout the city can no longer sit by and watch as their livelihoods and businesses get ripped away from them by politicians who care more about politics than the New Yorkers they are supposed to be working for. That is why we are speaking out today in favor of restaurants throughout the city. I understand COVID must be dealt with cautiously, and I also understand that restaurants are hurting badly. As President Trump always says, ‘We cannot allow the Coronavirus cure to be worse than the problem itself,’” says NY-3 Congressional candidate George Santos.

It is notable that the issue of indoor dining has bipartisan support in favor of permitting it. Just one state over in New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy, a liberal Democrat, has allowed indoor dining to take place beginning this week. Incompetence by the Mayor and Governor of New York is no longer acceptable as thousands of businesses are on the brink of collapse. We must reopen New York City restaurants quickly and safely, just as most of Long Island has.