Senator Graham to introduce legislation to withhold federal funds from cities requiring Chick-fil-A to open on Sundays
Senator Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., announced on Friday that he plans to introduce legislation that would withhold federal funds from any city or state government that forces Chick-fil-A to stay open on Sundays.
Graham made the announcement in response to a proposal in New York that would require some Chick-fil-A locations to operate seven days a week, despite the fast food chain’s longstanding policy to keep its restaurants closed on Sundays for religious reasons.
“This is war,” Graham wrote in a thread on Twitter. “If this goes forward, I will be introducing legislation withholding federal funds from any city or state that requires @ChickfilA to stay open on Sunday. New York is off base and their actions will not go unanswered.”
The New York bill would impact all food vendors operating at rest stops owned by the New York State Thruway Authority, requiring them to remain open every day in an effort to give New Yorkers and those traveling in the state a full variety of food options.
“The founders of Chick-fil-A made a decision early on to close on Sunday, consistent with their faith,” Graham wrote. “For any government to try to reverse this decision flies in the face of who we are as Americans.”
Chick-fil-A currently has 3,000 locations in the U.S., including several restaurants owned by New York’s Thruway Authority. The proposed legislation would impact all future contracts.
The bill’s justification cites Chick-fil-A as the inspiration behind the legislation, stating that “allowing for retail space to go unused one seventh of the week or more is a disservice and unnecessary inconvenience to travelers who rely on these service areas.”
State Rep. Tony Simone, a Democrat who introduced the bill, said it is intended to give travelers in the Empire State a diversity of food options.
According to Chick-fil-A’s website, the franchise has kept stores closed on Sundays since founder S. Truett Cathy opened his first restaurant in 1946 because he “saw the importance of closing on Sundays so that he and his employees could set aside one day to rest or worship if they choose.”
Graham’s announcement comes as Chick-fil-A recently marked the opening of its 3,000th restaurant and announced plans to donate $300,000 to celebrate the milestone.
Fox Business’ Breck Dumas contributed to this report.