Senate launches bipartisan Creators Caucus to give industry a voice in Washington

US creators now have a dedicated voice in the Senate, as lawmakers look to bring the industry closer to policy discussions in Washington.

The Senate has kicked off a bipartisan Creators Caucus, which will bring creators and lawmakers together to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing the industry.

Launched by Democratic Senator Cory Booker and Republican Senator John Kennedy, the caucus aims to help Congress better understand the creator economy and consider creators in policymaking.

“Creators represent a growing sector of the economy, but Congress and our laws haven’t kept up. The bipartisan Senate Creators Caucus seeks to change that by educating lawmakers, advocating for policies that have creators in mind, and ensuring that creators are recognized as legitimate small businesses,” Booker said.

Kennedy said the caucus would give lawmakers an opportunity to hear directly from creators and better understand the businesses they are building.

The inaugural event at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., brought together 15 creators spanning tech, sports, politics, beauty, mental health and lifestyle.

Beauty creator Jackie Aina, Theorist Media co-founder Matthew Patrick and Brave Wilderness co-founder Mark Vins were among those in attendance, alongside Sage Steele, Dr. Judith Joseph and Shira Lazar.

YouTube also welcomed the launch, with vice president of government affairs and public policy Leslie Miller saying the caucus would give digital creators “a strong voice in Washington.”

“YouTube creators are online storytellers, entrepreneurs, and employers in every state across the country,” she added.

The launch comes amid growing activity around creator issues in Washington. 

This year has seen a string of creator-focused proposals, including the Creator Bill of Rights, which calls for greater platform transparency and economic protections, and the CREATOR Act and NO FAKES Act, which seek to address different concerns around the use of AI. In July, more than 30 creators also gathered in Washington for the first Creator Advocacy Day.