NSAI Relaunches House Songwriters Caucus
Pictured (L-R): Jennifer Turnbow (Chief Operating Officer, NSAI), Kelly Archer (songwriter/NSAI Board Member), Rep. Ben Cline (R-VA), Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), Emily Shackelton (songwriter/NSAI Board Member), Bart Herbison (Executive Director, NSAI)
Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D-Los Angeles County) and Congressman Ben Cline (R-VA) re-launched have relaunched the Songwriters Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives, establishing a group of like-minded lawmakers who support songwriters.
To celebrate the launch, Reps Lieu and Cline welcomed songwriters and representatives from various songwriter advocacy organizations to Capitol Hill, where the Members announced the formation of the caucus and heard songs performed by the songwriters who were present.
“My district in Southern California is home to many talented songwriters whose work contributes so much to our culture and society,” says Rep. Lieu. “I’m thrilled to join Congressman Ben Cline in co-chairing the new bipartisan Congressional Songwriter’s Caucus, which will work to support America’s brilliant songwriters by ensuring they can protect their work and make a living doing what they love. Music contributes so much to our way of life, and we must ensure those creating it are compensated fairly. I’m grateful to the numerous songwriter advocacy organizations who’ve partnered with us on the creation of this caucus and look forward to working together to support our artists.”
“Making art, specifically music, is a powerful way to leave a mark on the world,” said Rep. Cline. “It’s a part of our everyday lives, from what we listen to on our commutes in the morning, to the music we select for our most important life events, such as birthdays, weddings, and funerals. But today’s modern music landscape can make it more difficult for certain artists, especially independent songwriters, to make a living. That is why I’m proud to co-chair the Congressional Songwriters Caucus, which will play an important role in promoting the songwriting community by working to ensure the creative rights of songwriters are protected.”
The Congressional Songwriters Caucus is supported by Nashville Songwriters Association International(NSAI), National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), the Recording Academy, BMI and ASCAP.
In a statement to MusicRow, NSAI shares, “Since the Songwriters Caucus was initially launched 20 years ago technology has completely changed the way music is delivered. American songwriters still face challenges in the digital era and we are very grateful to Congressmen Cline and Lieu for their bipartisan support.”
NMPA President & CEO David Israelite says, “We applaud Representatives Cline and Lieu for leading the Congressional Songwriters Caucus and we are excited about today’s launch. NMPA is the leading advocate for music publishers and their songwriter partners and we greatly look forward to working with the Caucus to advance policy interests that will protect creators and ensure that songwriters thrive.”
