Majority of House of Representatives Now Supports Local Radio Freedom Act

Four Members of Congress join coalition co-sponsoring anti-performance tax resolution

WASHINGTON, DC -- A majority of the U.S. House of Representatives is now co-sponsoring of a resolution that opposes "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local broadcast radio stations. A bipartisan group of four Representatives have added their names in support of the Local Radio Freedom Act, bringing the number of co-sponsors to 219 Members of the House and 14 Senators.

The members of the bipartisan group adding their support to the Local Radio Freedom Act are Democratic Reps. William Keating (MA-9) and Stephen Lynch (MA-8) and Republican Reps. John Culberson (TX-7) and David McKinley (WV-1).

"We applaud all the co-sponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act for voicing their strong support for America's hometown radio stations," said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. "A job-killing performance tax would be devastating to free and local radio, which has an overall economic impact of over $513 billion in Gross Domestic Product and generates more than one million jobs annually. This resolution reaffirms Congress's appreciation for the public service and economic benefits radio broadcasters provide to every community, while recognizing the mutually beneficial relationship between radio and performing artists."

Reps. Michael Conaway (R-TX) and Gene Green (D-TX) introduced the Local Radio Freedom Act (H. Con. Res. 16) in the House of Representatives on February 15 along with 71 additional co-sponsors. An identical resolution (S. Con. Res. 6) was introduced in the Senate on March 6 by Sens. John Barrasso (R-WY) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND).

"Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the-air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings," reads the Local Radio Freedom Act.

The 219 House cosponsors of the Local Radio Freedom Act include (new cosponsors in bold):

Michele Bachmann (MN-6)
Spencer Bachus (AL-6)
Ron Barber (AZ-2)
Andy Barr (KY-6)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Joe Barton (TX-6)
Dan Benishek (MI-1)
Kerry Bentivolio (MI-11)
Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)
Sanford Bishop (GA-2)
Earl Blumenauer (OR-3)
Charles Boustany (LA-3)
Bruce Braley (IA-1)
Jim Bridenstine (OK-1)
Mo Brooks (AL-5)
Susan Brooks (IN-5)
Corrine Brown (FL-5)
Vern Buchanan (FL-16)
Larry Bucshon (IN-8)
G.K. Butterfield (NC-1)
Bradley Byrne (AL-1)
Ken Calvert (CA-42)
John Campbell (CA-45)
Shelley Moore Capito (WV-2)
Mike Capuano (MA-7)
John Carney (DE-AL)
Andre Carson (IN-7)
John R. Carter (TX-31)
Bill Cassidy (LA-6)
Kathy Castor (FL-14)
Steve Chabot (OH-1)
Wm. Lacy Clay (MO-1)
Mike Coffman (CO-6)
Tom Cole (OK-4)
Chris Collins (NY-27)
Michael Conaway (TX-11)
Paul Cook (CA-8)
Tom Cotton (AR-4)
Joseph Courtney (CT-2)
Kevin Cramer (ND-AL)
Rick Crawford (AR-1)
Ander Crenshaw (FL-4)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
John Culberson (TX-7)
Steve Daines (MT-AL)
Rodney Davis (IL-13)
Charles Dent (PA-15)
Scott DesJarlais (TN-4)
Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25)
John Dingell (MI-12)
Sean Duffy (WI-7)
Jeff Duncan (SC-3)
John Duncan (TN-2)
Renee Ellmers (NC-2)
William Enyart (IL-12)
Blake Farenthold (TX-27)
Michael Fitzpatrick (PA-8)
John Fleming (LA-4)
Bill Flores (TX-17)
Jeff Fortenberry (NE-1)
Virginia Foxx (NC-5)
Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11)
Cory Gardner (CO-4)
Jim Gerlach (PA-6)
Bob Gibbs (OH-7)
Christopher Gibson (NY-19)
Phil Gingrey (GA-11)
Paul Gosar (AZ-4)
Trey Gowdy (SC-4)
Kay Granger (TX-12)
Sam Graves (MO-6)
Tom Graves (GA-14)
Gene Green (TX-29)

Tim Griffin (AR-2)
Brett Guthrie (KY-2)
Ralph Hall (TX-4)
Richard Hanna (NY-22)
Gregg Harper (MS-3)
Andy Harris (MD-1)
Vicky Hartzler (MO-4)
Alcee Hastings (FL-23)
Doc Hastings (WA-4)
Joe Heck (NV-3)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Steven Horsford (NV-4)
Richard Hudson (NC-8)
Tim Huelskamp (KS-1)
Randy Hultgren (IL-14)
Duncan Hunter (CA-50)
Robert Hurt (VA-5)
Lynn Jenkins (KS-2)
Bill Johnson (OH-6)
Walter Jones (NC-3)
Jim Jordan (OH-11)
David Joyce (OH-14)
Marcy Kaptur (OH-9)
William Keating (MA-9)
Ron Kind (WI-3)
Peter King (NY-2)
Adam Kinzinger (IL-16)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-1)
John Kline (MN-2)
Ann Kuster (NH-2)
Doug LaMalfa (CA-1)
Doug Lamborn (CO-5)
Leonard Lance (NJ-7)
James Lankford (OK-5)
Tom Latham (IA-3)
Robert Latta (OH-5)
Frank LoBiondo (NJ-2)
Dave Loebsack (IA-2)
Billy Long (MO-7)
Frank Lucas (OK-3)
Blaine Luetkemeyer (MO-9)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-1)
Ben Ray Lujan (NM-3)
Cynthia Lummis (WY-AL)
Stephen Lynch (MA-8)
Dan Maffei (NY-24)
Kenny Marchant (TX-24)
Thomas Massie (KY-4)
Jim Matheson (UT-4)
Vance McAllister (LA-5)
Carolyn McCarthy (NY-4)
Patrick McHenry (NC-10)
Mike McIntyre (NC-7)
David McKinley (WV-1)
Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-5)
Mark Meadows (NC-11)
Patrick Meehan (PA-7)
Gregory Meeks (NY-5)
Luke Messmer (IN-6)
John Mica (FL-7)
Michael Michaud (ME-2)
Candice Miller (MI-10)
Jeff Miller (FL-1)
Markwayne Mullin (OK-2)
Mick Mulvaney (SC-5)
Randy Neugebauer (TX-19)
Kristi Noem (SD-AL)
Devin Nunes (CA-22)
Alan Nunnelee (MS-1)
Pete Olson (TX-22)
Beto O'Rourke (TX-16)
Bill Owens (NY-21)
Steven Palazzo (MS-4)

Frank Pallone (NJ-6)
Erik Paulsen (MN-3)
Bill Pascrell (NJ-9)
Steve Pearce (NM-2)
Tom Petri (WI-6)
Robert Pittenger (NC-9)
Joe Pitts (PA-16)
Ted Poe (TX-2)
Mike Pompeo (KS-4)
Bill Posey (FL-8)
David Price (NC-4)
Nick Rahall (WV-3)
Charles Rangel (NY-13)
Tom Reed (NY-23)
Jim Renacci (OH-16)
Reid Ribble (WI-8)
Scott Rigell (VA-2)
Martha Roby (AL-2)
Harold Rogers (KY-5)
Mike Rogers (AL-3)
Mike Rogers (MI-8)
Dana Rohrabacher (CA-48)
Todd Rokita (IN-4)
Peter Roskam (IL-6)
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27)
Dennis Ross (FL-15)
Edward Royce (CA-39)
Jon Runyan (NJ-3)
Paul Ryan (WI-1)
Tim Ryan (OH-13)
Matt Salmon (AZ-5)
John Sarbanes (MD-3)
Steve Scalise (LA-1)
Aaron Schock (IL-18)
Kurt Schrader (OR-5)
Allyson Schwartz (PA-13)
David Schweikert (AZ-6)
Austin Scott (GA-8)
David Scott (GA-13)
Pete Sessions (TX-32)
Carol Shea-Porter (NH-1)
John Shimkus (IL-15)
Mike Simpson (ID-2)
Adrian Smith (NE-3)
Christopher Smith (NJ-4)
Steve Southerland (FL-2)
Steve Stivers (OH-15)
Marlin Stutzman (IN-3)
Lee Terry (NE-2)
Glenn Thompson (PA-5)
Pat Tiberi (OH-12)
Scott Tipton (CO-3)
Mike Turner (OH-10)
Fred Upton (MI-6)
David Valadao (CA-21)
Marc Veasey (TX-33)
Peter Visclosky (IN-1)
Ann Wagner (MO-2)
Tim Walberg (MI-7)
Greg Walden (OR-2)
Jackie Walorski (IN-2)
Tim Walz (MN-1)
Randy Weber (TX-14)
Brad Wenstrup (OH-2)
Lynn Westmoreland (GA-3)
Ed Whitfield (KY-1)
Roger Williams (TX-25)
Frederica Wilson (FL-24)
Joe Wilson (SC-2)
Rob Wittman (VA-1)
Steve Womack (AR-3)
Kevin Yoder (KS-3)
Don Young (AK-AL)

The Local Radio Freedom Act's 14 Senate cosponsors are:

Kelly Ayotte (R-NH)
John Barrasso (R-WY)
John Boozman (R-AR)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Martin Heinrich (D-NM)

Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND)
James Inhofe (R-OK)
Tim Johnson (D-SD)
Pat Roberts (R-KS)
Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Tom Udall (D-NM)
David Vitter (R-LA)

About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.