TEMPO: Our Legislative Action Fund
The AFM’s Office of Government Relations in Washington DC, is the nerve-center of the union’s grassroots and congressional outreach efforts. The Office advocates for policies and legislation that will improve the lives of professional musicians. Paramount to these efforts are keeping the AFM membership informed on key developments and asking them to take action from time to time. Parallel to our grassroots outreach, the Office of Government Relations also develops and maintains strong working relationships with key members of Congress and their staffs in both the House and the Senate as well as building coalitions of like-minded organizations. Some key areas of focus for this office are:· Championing the AFM’s stated position on issues being addressed by Congress such as, pension reform, copyright law and piracy, media consolidation, localism and continuing to fight for a performance right in sound recordings, as well as other issues that affects the lives of AFM members.
The Office administers the Legislative Action Fund, the AFM’s nonpartisan, multi-candidate political action committee that is supported entirely by the voluntary contributions of AFM members. TEMPO makes disbursements to congressional candidates of either party who have a demonstrated record of support for professional musicians, issues of concern to our members and the arts in general. Consideration for disbursement of TEMPO funds is also given to candidates or elected officials that AFM Locals strongly support.
Some of the activities of TEMPO include:
- Meeting with members of the US House and Senate and their staffs to advocate the AFM’s position on specific legislative issues.
- Working with federal agencies to try to modify current US policy to better the lives of professional musicians in both the United States and Canada.
- Increasing the effectiveness and visibility of the AFM’s lobbying efforts by building coalitions with other groups that share our legislative concerns.
- Working with the AFL-CIO and affiliated unions on areas of mutual interest to the broader labor movement.
Some of the issues TEMPO has fought for include:
- AFM Testimony at FCC Hearings on Media Consolidation
- Arts in Education Funding
- Charitable Donation Tax Bill Provisions
- Content Protection on Digital Radio
- Musical Instruments As Carry-on Luggage
- Right to Reacquire & Orphan Works
- Media Concentration/Payola
- Employee Choice Act
- Indecency Fines
- NEA Funding
- P-2 Visas
- Pension Law Reform
- Performance Rights
- Piracy