Congress Approved $15 Billion to Save Entertainment Venues – Why Has Not a Penny Been Spent So Far?

Lobbyists for the entertainment industry cheered a $15 billion bailout for music venues and other independent entertainment outlets closed by the pandemic, which Congress passed in late December and President Trump signed into law in January. But relief has turned to frustration, as not a single penny from the Save Our Stages Act has been sent out yet. “We honestly don’t know how much longer we’re going to have to wait,” said Audrey Schaefer of the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), a group created during the pandemic to lobby for federal aid. “Thousands of live venues need the money fast, and for many others it’s now too late.