Connections Drive Impact in the Nation’s Capital

June 1, 2025

Tino Gagliardi  -  AFM International President

Much of the work the Federation does to advocate for musicians’ interests and influence laws and policies that protect them happens through the relationships we’ve built in Washington, DC. Ben Kessler is our director of government affairs. Last month, I joined him for a few days in the capital to discuss your interests directly with your representatives.

• We met with Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA), who serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Committee on the Judiciary. We covered a range of topics that included intellectual property and the unique needs of scoring musicians.
• We discussed AI and arts funding during our meeting with Representative Maxwell Frost (D-FL), who serves on the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. A talented musician himself, Frost is an advocate for AFM members.
• We met with Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA), a ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Intellectual Property Subcommittee, who is a champion for creating transparency in AI development and protecting musicians’ jobs.
• Our conversation with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) included the need to move American Music Fairness Act out of committee and through the legislative process as soon as possible. He has been a longtime advocate for the union.
• During our meeting with Representative Jamie Raskin (D-MD), ranking member of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, he expressed support for AMFA and performers’ rights.
• We met with Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), who serves on the House Judiciary Committee and is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security and Enforcement. We discussed the many issues facing our Canadian members as well as protecting the rights of Seattle musicians. We also spoke about the cruelty of requiring transgender and nonbinary artists to list their gender at birth in document applications.

AFM Legislative Priorities

Tax Incentives for Postproduction Work—Many nonsignatory television and film productions are now scored overseas with cheaper, nonunion orchestras. New postproduction tax incentives could encourage producers to hire US musicians and studios and keep this work at home. We talked to elected officials about the importance of advocating for musicians’ jobs in the US.

Copyright and GAI Protections—With several cases on generative artificial intelligence (GAI) before the courts and uncertainty at the US Copyright Office, we need more allies in Congress to establish meaningful safeguards that protect featured artists and session musicians alike. We presented our concerns about maintaining the autonomy of the US Copyright Office in the wake of the attempted firing of the Register of Copyrights. The AFM supports those who are working with us toward consent, credit, and compensation when our work is used for AI development.

American Music Fairness Act—The American Music Fairness Act (AMFA) would allow compensation for musicians for AM/FM radio plays. The proposal would end special treatment for broadcasters while protecting small and local radio stations from arduous fees. Our opponents spend millions of dollars every year just to keep from paying musicians fairly. The AFM is also in conversations with members of Congress and a range of stakeholders on how to best improve streaming platform compensation models. 

P-2 Visa Processing—What was already an expensive, slow, and difficult process for Canadian musicians wishing to obtain a visa to work in the US has become even worse. The situation was compounded by the shutting down of the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman after its staff was put on leave. This effectively ended immigration oversight.

Supporting Our Members

While in Washington, I met with senior staff at the Canadian Embassy. It is a critical time for the AFM to have open lines of communication with both the US Embassy in Ottawa and the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC. The P-2 visa process has failed Canadian musicians for some time. And with the firing of the staff of the Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman responsible for immigration services, we must look elsewhere for transparency and accountability. During our meeting at the Embassy, we discussed advocacy strategies and the need to engage US stakeholders if we are to affect change. We acknowledged the harm the visa application gender identification policy is having on our trans and nonbinary members. Unfortunately, the position of the Trump administration is unwaveringly cruel in its position.

Finally, I made time to meet with our AFM members of Local 161-710 (Washington, DC), who are working at the Kennedy Center during this very uncertain time. I listened to the concerns of those members facing challenging workplace conditions and assured them that the AFM is here to help. We are discussing the situation with other labor unions to present a unified stance in support of all Kennedy Center workers.

Boost Our Legislative Efforts Through a TEMPO Contribution

These visits to the capital and Kessler’s continued work are important for moving our priorities forward. As mid-term elections approach, supporting the campaigns of those elected leaders who fight for our concerns is more important than ever. We must restore balance in our government in order to protect the needs of musicians and union workers across the country.

TEMPO contributions allow the AFM to support lawmakers and candidates who advocate for issues critical to musicians. Please consider making a contribution to TEMPO. Every donation makes a difference.

Visit: https://www.afm.org/what-we-are-doing/legislative/tempo/

Remembering Bill Moriarity

My friend, former Local 802 (New York City) President Bill Moriarity, passed away at the end of April. He was a mentor with whom I sought counsel on a regular basis. Whether it was bargaining strategy or pension issues, I could always count on Bill to provide a fresh perspective on any problem at hand. The things I learned from him provided me with the tools to be an effective negotiator and president. I still have a copy of the Local 802 Bylaws he gave me when I first talked about running for Local 802 Executive Board. You can read more about his legacy here.

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