Coalition Work Is Key to Our Success for the Remainder of the 117th Congress

December 1, 2021

Alfonso Pollard  -  

As we count down to the passage of our two most important remaining music issues in this Congress, partnering with our allies and counterparts will lead to our success.

Our labor coalition has branched out and embraced others in the music industry that often lobby an alternate agenda. This time around, the two remaining issues on our agenda—tax relief and performance rights (royalties)—have struck a meaningful chord with both management and labor. Coalition leaders of all groups have come together to impress congress with the growing strength of our resolve.

On taxes, the AFM and its labor coalition partners of the AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees—Arts, Entertainment and Media industries group have joined forces with the Congressional Arts Group (CAG), led by the League of American Orchestras. This expands our message to convince congress that the restoration of tax benefits lost under the 2017 law signed into effect by former President Trump is supported by both labor and management.

The result is a bipartisan labor/management lobbying effort toward passing the bipartisan relief bill introduced by Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) and Congressman Vernon Buchanan (R-FL). Aside from restoring critical tax deductions previously used by entertainment professionals, the bill also updates the tax code by increasing the income ceiling to $100,000 for individual artist filers and $200,000 for married, joint filing performing artists.

AFM International President Ray Hair says, “Working musicians continue to struggle while recovering from the loss of a bulk of their live music performance income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Performing Artist Tax Parity Act is sensible legislation that we can all agree on. It will restore these deductions and help musicians and other entertainment professionals recover from the ravages of the pandemic, which brought our industry to a screeching halt, while helping working artists and their families become whole again.”

Our labor coalition has reached out beyond its own congressional universe and garnered support from important House caucus staff. We are also working to expand cosponsorship of US Senate companion legislation (S 2872), which was introduced by Senators John Warner (D-VA) and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) in September 2021.

Our quest for a performance right for musicians continues to grow and make inroads in congress. That legislation, the American Music Fairness Act (HR 4130), was introduced in June 2021 under the strong leadership of the musicFIRST Coalition and SoundExchange, in conjunction with the leading international law firm Squire Patton-Boggs. The Washington, DC, firm has experience in congressional lobbying as well as 45 offices in 20 countries around the globe, which will be important as we negotiate reciprocal payments from international collectives.

In addition to the effective lobbying techniques of the AFM Office of Government Relations, AFM Executive Board member Dave Pomeroy, as well as Recording Musicians Association President Marc Sazer and 1st Vice President Danny Rader, have joined the effort. Augmenting the marvelous work of the musicFIRST Coalition led by chairman Joe Crowley, the CAG has joined us to help push this legislation through.

Many thanks to those of you who have weighed in on these issues. I feel secure, barring some legislative glitch, that we will get this legislation through.

Support the American Music Fairness Act

Despite the hundreds of billions of dollars large media corporations like iHeartRadio make from advertisers, they never share a penny of that with the musicians who create the music. Musicians deserve compensation for work—just like everyone else.

Sign the American Music Fairness Act petition to show your support at https://bit.ly/AMFA-fairpay

---