Congress is building on their new Congressional Creator Caucus to help build a robust and equitable creator economy. Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) today announced the creation of the Congressional Creators Caucus. The caucus will advocate for the needs and rights of digital content creators, addressing a sector often overlooked in economic discussions.
Creators John and Hank Green, hugely influential YouTube creators themselves, have led the way with this. Over the past year, they have lobbied on Capitol Hill to raise awareness of the challenges faced by creators and the need for legislative support. The success they’ve achieved on YouTube has helped them build companies like Complexly, which has offices in Indiana and Montana.
Matthew Patrick, better known online as MatPat of the Game Theorists channel, played a large role in the caucus’s launch. He and his wife Stephanie Patrick recently launched Theorist Media, a digital production studio that has thousands of fans buzzing. At the press event, MatPat made it clear that educating lawmakers was going to be key in helping them understand the growing creator economy.
As mentioned above, we’re busy teaching lawmakers about the creator economy. It’s a real profession, very much like plumbers or electricians, and we do it as small businesses. he said. However, there are specific tax codes and provisions that are favorable to small businesses.
The Caucus has now risen to take on a very real and substantial issue. First, it acknowledges that the U.S. government lacks the necessary regulatory scrutiny and comprehension of the creator economy. Digital content creators are having a moment because their audiences have grown online to billions of people across the globe. Yet millions continue to face barriers to financial services. Creators are frequently denied access to basic business on-ramps by legacy financial institutions, often just because these institutions don’t understand their new and different business models.
Amanda Silberling, senior writer at TechCrunch, illustrates how the division between technology and culture is becoming increasingly antediluvian. Finberg believes new entrants such as Karat Financial are emerging to offer business credit cards and banking solutions tailored to the creator economy.
“Too often, creators are overlooked in economic policy discussions despite being small business owners, employers, and cultural tastemakers in every congressional district,” stated Courtney Duffy, Patreon’s Head of External Affairs and Strategic Engagement.
The establishment of the Congressional Creators Caucus is a watershed moment for America’s content creators. With advocates like John and Hank Green leading the charge, it aims to ensure that resources and protections are in place to support their success.
“As digital content creators’ online presence continues to reach billions globally, Congress must work to ensure resources and protections are in place to support their success in this new era of start-ups,” – Representative Clarke
