Bipartisan House Lawmakers Form Congressional Caucus to Push for Nationwide Film and TV Production Tax Incentive Amid Industry Job Losses

WASHINGTON — In a significant legislative push to address the steady exodus of entertainment production jobs overseas, a bipartisan coalition of U.S. House lawmakers has officially established the Congressional American Film and TV Production Caucus. Announced on Wednesday, the newly formed caucus aims to spearhead ongoing legislative efforts to create a nationwide federal tax credit for film and television production, uniting lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle in an effort to safeguard domestic entertainment infrastructure.

The founding roster of the caucus reflects a carefully curated mix of geographic representation and strategic committee placements. The group is led by Representatives Brian Jack (R-GA), Laura Friedman (D-CA), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), Linda Sánchez (D-CA), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), and Tom Suozzi (D-NY). Notably, several of these founding members hold influential committee assignments: Moran, Sánchez, Malliotakis, and Suozzi all sit on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which holds primary jurisdiction over tax policy. Meanwhile, Jack serves on the House Rules Committee, a strategic placement vital for advancing legislation to the floor for a full vote.

The formation of the caucus follows mounting alarm among industry stakeholders, labor unions, and policymakers over the declining share of global production taking place within the United States. Organizers of the caucus point to stark economic indicators, highlighting the loss of more than 100,000 film and television production jobs since the industry hit a post-pandemic peak in 2022. During that same timeframe, overall domestic production spending has plummeted by approximately 20 percent. This contraction at home sharply contrasts with expanding production outputs in international hubs such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and various nations across Eastern Europe.

The Global Battle for Hollywood: Foreign Subsidies and Domestic Vulnerability

At the heart of the caucus’s mission is a growing recognition that individual U.S. states, many of which already offer competitive tax incentives, are increasingly ill-equipped to compete on their own against aggressive national subsidies deployed by foreign governments.

For decades, states like California, Georgia, New York, and New Mexico have utilized state-level tax credits to attract film crews, production facilities, and post-production houses. However, industry advocates argue that these state incentives are now being outmatched by foreign sovereign nations that view entertainment production not just as a cultural export, but as a critical economic engine capable of supporting thousands of high-wage technical jobs, tourism, and local small businesses.

According to data cited by caucus organizers, roughly 65 foreign nations currently offer robust national production incentives designed specifically to lure American film and television projects away from traditional domestic hubs. These international programs often feature higher funding caps, lower administrative hurdles, and comprehensive infrastructure investments that surpass what individual American states can offer under fragmented regional budgets. Consequently, major studios and independent producers alike have increasingly shifted principal photography and visual effects work overseas, leaving thousands of American grips, electricians, set designers, writers, and actors facing prolonged periods of underemployment.

Political Momentum and White House Alignment

The launch of the caucus arrives at a pivotal political juncture, buoyed by emerging alignment at the highest levels of the federal government. Recently, President Donald Trump publicly announced his support for a federal film and television production incentive, signaling potential cross-ideological backing that could smooth the path for legislative action.

Supporters of the national tax credit are optimistic that presidential endorsement, combined with the structured advocacy of the newly minted caucus, will generate substantial momentum when Congress returns to legislative business following the midterms. While formal timelines for the introduction of the nationwide production credit bill have not yet been finalized by House leadership, legislative drafters suggest that an official bill could be formally introduced in the coming weeks.

The push for federal intervention was further underscored earlier this week during a press call organized by the Motion Picture Association (MPA). Representatives Friedman and Jack joined industry leaders on the call to articulate the urgent need for a nationwide production credit, framing the initiative as a matter of national economic security and workforce preservation.

Perspectives from Capitol Hill: Lawmakers Make the Case for American Storytelling

The founding members of the Congressional American Film and TV Production Caucus have emphasized that the loss of entertainment jobs extends far beyond Hollywood studios, impacting local main street economies across the country.

Representative Laura Friedman, a former film producer whose California district includes communities deeply intertwined with the entertainment industry, offered a blunt assessment of the current landscape during the caucus announcement.

"Film and television work is leaving this country because 65 other nations decided to compete for these hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs," Friedman said. "A national film tax credit is how we bring that work home, and this caucus is a key step to build support for it."

Friedman’s sentiment was echoed by her Republican colleagues, highlighting the broad-based appeal of protecting domestic manufacturing and creative industries. Representative Nathaniel Moran stressed the ripple effects that film and television productions generate within local municipalities.

"Every production that sets up here ripples out, supporting the businesses around it and pumping money into local communities," Moran stated. "We need to keep that going and keep American storytelling in America."

The Economic Ripple Effect: Beyond the Silver Screen

Economists and labor advocates point out that the entertainment industry functions as a massive economic multiplier. A single television series or feature film requires the goods and services of dozens of supporting industries, including catering companies, lumber yards, hardware stores, dry cleaners, transportation logistics firms, and hospitality providers. When a production relocates to London, Vancouver, or Budapest, the economic benefits—and the tax revenues generated by production crews spending wages locally—are exported along with it.

Furthermore, the erosion of domestic production infrastructure poses a long-term threat to the specialized skills required by modern filmmaking. As technicians, camera operators, and visual effects artists face sustained job scarcity in the U.S., many are forced to leave the industry entirely or seek permanent employment in foreign markets where production remains stable and heavily subsidized. Supporters of the federal credit argue that implementing a nationwide incentive is necessary to reverse this talent drain and ensure that the next generation of American technical and artistic professionals can build sustainable careers at home.

Path Forward for the Federal Production Credit Legislation

As the Congressional American Film and TV Production Caucus officially opens its doors, its members face the intricate task of drafting a legislative framework that can garner the requisite votes in both the House and the Senate. Crafting a federal tax credit involves navigating complex fiscal questions, including how the credit will be structured, capped, and funded, as well as how it will interact with existing state-level incentive programs.

Despite these legislative hurdles, the convergence of bipartisan congressional leadership, active industry lobbying by organizations like the MPA, and high-profile executive branch support has placed the issue of a national production credit at the forefront of economic policy discussions in Washington.

For thousands of displaced entertainment workers and the countless small businesses that rely on a thriving domestic production ecosystem, the establishment of the caucus represents a tangible step toward leveling the global playing field and securing the future of American entertainment production for years to come.