How Hollywood Lobbies Congress for Its Slice of the Coronavirus Bailout
Though the offices of Hollywood’s guilds and companies may be closed, they are all flooding Capitol Hill with phone calls and emails as Congress races to build federal aid packages in the face of a coronavirus-fueled recession. As House Democrats prepare to build a broader stimulus bill for passage this week and Republicans try to push through their Senate bill, the entertainment industry and its workers are fighting to make sure they are not left out. For now, the majority of the relief that Hollywood will receive from Washington, especially for movie theaters, are part of more general, sweeping programs that are being ironed out as the American economy sinks into a pandemic-fueled recession. But the provisions for the unique nature of how writers, directors, actors and filming crews make ends meet will be essential. “We just want our members to have the same access to what is being offered as what any 9-to-5 employee can get,” SAG-AFTRA Foundation communications director Caroline O’Connor told TheWrap. “We’ve been in very close contact with lawmakers that represent the areas many of our members live and work in, and we feel really optimistic that they will be able to bring answers for our...
Read original story How Hollywood Lobbies Congress for Its Slice of the Coronavirus Bailout At TheWrap
