Hollywood is getting a new voice on Capitol Hill.
Reps. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, María Elvira Salazar and Troy Carter launched a bipartisan congressional caucus Wednesday focused on movies, music, entertainment and sports, creating a new forum for lawmakers to engage with America’s creative industries.
The Movies, Music, Entertainment & Sports Caucus (MoMEntS) will focus on industries including film and television, music, sports, streaming, gaming, publishing and the creator economy.
The creative and entertainment sectors generate more than $1 trillion annually and support more than 5 million jobs, according to Kamlager-Dove’s office.
“Together, we will champion the people who make this economy thrive and ensure the U.S. remains a global leader in entertainment and culture,” she said in announcing the group.
The caucus plans to promote policies aimed at strengthening workforce opportunities and protecting creative rights while supporting innovation, competition and what it calls responsible platform practices. This gives the group a potentially broad mandate as Hollywood confronts issues ranging from artificial intelligence and copyright protections to competition in streaming and digital media.
MoMEntS is launching with backing from several major entertainment and media organizations. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., Starz president of original programming Kathryn Busby, TikTok USDS Joint Venture head of public policy Nicole Nason and TKO Group chief legal officer Riché McKnight issued statements supporting the group Wednesday.
Salazar said the caucus would bring lawmakers and creative industries together to better understand the challenges they face and “protect creative rights,” while Carter said it would provide an opportunity for Congress to prioritize the creative and entertainment industries.
Other members include Reps. Joe Wilson, André Carson, Gilbert Cisneros Jr., Jared Moskowitz and Ted Lieu.
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