NASHVILLE, Tenn. — UPDATE 5/25/2021 - A federal judge has ruled against a conservative legal group that sought an immediate halt to the priority status for restaurants and bars owned by women and certain minorities in President Joe Biden's COVID-19 relief package.
U.S. District Judge Travis McDonough in Knoxville, Tennessee, denied a temporary restraining order last week in the lawsuit brought by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.
The judge wrote that Congress had evidence that small businesses owned by minorities and women had been disproportionately hurt by the pandemic and previous COVID-19 relief programs had not been fairly distributed.
The group sued on behalf of a white male Tennessee restaurant owner.
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5/13/2021 - A conservative legal group has filed suit against President Joe Biden's administration for its prioritization of restaurants and bars owned by women and certain minorities in its COVID-19 relief package.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday argues white men are being "pushed to the back of the line" for aid.
The suit led by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty targets the period from May 3 until May 24. In that time, the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund will only process and fund requests from businesses owned by women, veterans, or socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.
Biden has said female- and minority-owned businesses have been disproportionately hurt by the pandemic.