The Taskforce for Employment of Musicians Promotional Organization (TEMPO) was founded in 1961 to give musicians a broader, more extensive voice on political issues that had both positive and negative impacts on the working lives of professional musicians.Over the years, this Political Action Committee (PAC) has used its financial resources to help the AFM support the elections of legislators at federal and state levels, thereby keeping many of our greatest music champions in Congress and adding more.

One can measure the value of our TEMPO program by the progress we have made over the years. Our union was at the forefront of major legislative action before many other national music organizations existed. Our focus on issues that impact the recording industry dates to the 1930s when AFM President JamesPetrillo used his considerable influence to organize musicians under a national phonograph recording agreement. These agreements eventually led to congressional legislation that strengthened our ability to organize and push for a performance right in recorded sound. The union aggressively lobbied Congress to pass a ban on foreign contract labor in 1917, to defeat the Prohibition Amendment and the 20% Cabaret Tax in 1918, and the Lea Act in 1946, as well as to repeal the Cabaret Tax and to promote government grants for the nonprofit arts community, both in 1955.

Today, our union is on Capitol Hill lobbying aggressively to protect artists from the exploitation of artificial intelligence, create stricter copyright and performance rights laws to guarantee musicians receive fair compensation for their work, advocate for tax reform to reduce offshoring of film recordings, ensure fair compensation when their music is streamed or played on the radio, support the National Endowment for the Arts, and address a range of other issues that require congressional action.

Supporting lawmakers and candidates who champion issues important to musicians is crucial. This includes matters such as artificial intelligence protections, tax policies, improved regulations for traveling with instruments, and stricter copyright and performance rights laws. AFM members have joined together to support candidates who support music.

For musicians, it is critical that we support lawmakers and candidates who fight for issues we care about, including:

• Copyright law that protects musicians’ rights in their work

• Artificial intelligence policies that guarantee consent, credit, and compensation when work is used in machine learning

 • Strong workplace standards and labor policies

 • Tax policies that protect our jobs and benefit professional musicians

• Increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to one dollar per capita in the   United States

• Support for music education and participation in all communities across the country

Federal law prohibits dues money from being used for most political purposes. That’s why musicians have established TEMPO.

TEMPO is solely comprised of small contributions given by AFM musicians.

Please join other musiciansthroughout the United States by supporting candidates fighting for us by joining TEMPO at the amount of your choosing or by joining the TEMPO Signature Leadership Program for a one-time annual payment of $52.

To give to TEMPO, visit https://www.afm.org/what-we-are-doing/legislative/

AFM is not soliciting contributions to TEMPO from any individual who is not a member of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM), an executive or professional employee of AFM or its affiliates, or their family member living in the same household.

*Any contribution received from such an individual will be returned to that contributor. Only United States citizens and lawful permanent United States residents may contribute. AFM TEMPO makes contributions and expenditures in federal, state, and local elections. All contributions are voluntary, and an individual may refuse to contribute without any reprisal. Any guideline contribution amount is merely a suggestion. An individual is free to contribute more or less. AFM will not favor or disadvantage the individual by reason of the amount of a contribution or a decision not to contribute. Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and name of employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year. Contributions and gifts to AFM TEMPO are not tax deductible. Contributions by foreign nationals, corporations, or companies are prohibited.