Music and Entertainment
Overview
Tennessee's Fifth Congressional District is home to Nashville, also known as Music City, USA. Music is the lifeblood of Nashville, and it's everywhere you turn in our city. We've got it all: recording artists, musicians, songwriters, record labels, manufacturers, retailers, and service providers. Visitors come from far and wide to enjoy our musical culture, the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame and our rich Motown heritage in the Jefferson Street Music District.
Music policy is so important to Nashville, and that's why it is one of my top priorities. Along with some of my Tennessee colleagues in Congress, I co-sponsor the Songwriter Equity Act to update our country’s music licensing system. The bill proposes changes to the Copyright Act that allow Nashville’s songwriters and publishers to be paid fairly for their work in the age of digital music. I also pushed hard for the Federal Aviation Administration’s new rule that allows guitars in overhead bins on airlines.
Intellectual property is almost exclusively the subject of federal legislation, and music policy that affects us locally is hatched in Washington, D.C. I'm a strong supporter of intellectual property rights and rights-holders and believe that intellectual property laws need reevaluating when significant new technologies reach the marketplace.
My goal is to make sure any new laws serve the public's interest in progress, civic discourse, investment and innovation. I want to make sure creative rights are protected while giving consumers access to legal mediums to enjoy the music they love.
Links & Additional Information
United States Copyright Office
United States Patent & Trademark Office
Nashville Convention and Visitors' Bureau
National Endowment for the Arts
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
More on Music and Entertainment
WASHINGTON – Last night the U.S. House of Representatives passed an updated version of the HEROES Act to support Americans and the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic The $2.2 trillion legislation passed the House by 214-207. Not a single Republican voted for the relief package.
WASHINGTON – Of the three bills that Rep. Jim Cooper has been pushing to help the Nashville tourist economy recover, two are included in the $2.2 trillion relief package that Speaker Nancy Pelosi is offering the White House and the U.S. Senate.
NASHVILLE – At a press conference this morning, Rep. Jim Cooper announced how CARES Act funds were allocated in Davidson, Dickson, and Cheatham Counties. The $2.5 trillion CARES Act is the largest relief bill in U.S. history. It was signed into law in March but there has been little transparency on how funds were distributed within congressional districts despite congressional efforts to monitor the funds.
NASHVILLE – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) released the following statement about the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act, H.R. 6800, which is expected to pass the House tonight:
NASHVILLE – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) released the following statement after he voted for the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, H.R. 266, which passed the House today:
NASHVILLE – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) today announced new resources related to the COVID-19 pandemic are now available on his website here.
WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper (TN-05) made the following statement after H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed the House by voice vote:
“Coronavirus is an unprecedented pandemic, and this is an unprecedented bill. It is the largest economic relief bill passed in America’s history, Rep. Cooper said. “It is important that Congress acted quickly so we can help people and businesses who are struggling. Now the administration needs to get the money out the door fast to help everyone through this crisis.”
NASHVILLE – Following the tornadoes in Tennessee earlier this week, the president has approved Tennessee’s request for Major Disaster Declaration. FEMA released the information below and attached.
State of Tennessee
Federal Disaster Declaration Fact Sheet
March 5, 2020
WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Jim Cooper (TN-05), announced that Tuneer Ghosh, a local high school junior, is the 2019 Congressional App Challenge winner for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District.
The Congressional App Challenge is a national initiative launched in 2013 to encourage interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by middle and high school students.