As Friday morning began inside the Beltway, more than 1,000 FCC staffers remained on an unpaid vacation, as Republicans and Democrats continued their stalemate over the funding of the U.S. Government, which has led to its shutdown.
That hasn’t stopped a Democratic House of Representatives Member from the Buckeye Stat from adding her name to a bill that would revive the Minority Tax Certificate program.
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) on October 3 became the first non-original co-sponsor of the Broadcast VOICES Act, or “Voices of Inclusion in Communications and Equity Stability.” Introduced by Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) in the House and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) in the Senate, the twin bills seek to revive the Minority Tax Certificate program, which from 1978 to 1995 helped facilitate hundreds of broadcast ownership transfers to women and people of color.
In the Upper Body of Congress, six co-sponsors have affixed their name to S.2123, all on June 18. For H.R. 3879, the Broadcast VOICES Act bill in the House, it is just Beatty and Missouri Democrat Emmanuel Cleaver signing on as co-sponsors. As such, the legislation has a long way to go to get potential House consideration. Even then, Republican leaders may snub their noses at legislation only Democrats have signed on to.
Despite the party-line division on the proposed legislation, all 50 state broadcaster associations, the National Association of Broadcasters, and civil rights organizations, including the National Urban League, NABOB, LULAC, and MMTC, have endorsed the measure. While committee work is paused until the government reopens, the act’s continued support underscores that ownership diversity remains on the legislative radar, even in the middle of a shutdown.
Meanwhile, the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA), or H.R. 861 in the current Congress, has had no movement since Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) reintroduced the proposed legislation within days of Republicans taking over the House of Representatives and the White House. As of October 10, 11 House Members have signed on as co-sponsors, with the most recent coming on August 29 — Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Penna.). The lack of additional co-sponsors comes even as musicFIRST supporters wore branded T-Shirts at the September Open Meeting of the FCC, the latest failed attempt to sway legislators.
— With reporting by Cameron Coats, in New York
