Jon Voight joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Tuesday to advocate for a federal tax credit for film and television production, arguing that the incentive would help bring production jobs back to the United States. The Oscar-winning actor, appointed by President Trump as a special ambassador to Hollywood, spoke at a virtual briefing where the Motion Picture Association (MPA) released a study by Olsberg SPI projecting significant economic benefits.
According to the report, a federal tax credit would create an average of more than 143,000 jobs annually across the country and boost U.S. production spending by over $125 billion between 2027 and 2035. Voight said producers have told him they want to work in the U.S. but are forced overseas by more generous incentives offered by other nations.
“I received a call from one of the producers of one of our big blockbuster series of films, and he said to me, ‘Jon, we can’t make films in Hollywood. We can’t make films in the United States,’” Voight said. “Now thousands upon thousands of our people are out of the work they love and are struggling to find ways to put food on the table for their families. It’s a very serious situation, and it breaks my heart.”
While acknowledging that Congress is not his area of expertise, the 87-year-old said lawmakers on both sides have shown “strong energy” to support the legislation. “This legislation will create a massive number of jobs in the entertainment industry throughout the entire United States,” he said.
The push comes after President Trump called for a federal incentive in a Truth Social post earlier this month, urging Congress to work together to “save the movie, television, and entertainment business in America.” That rare bipartisan appeal has given momentum to the effort, which is being led in the House by Reps. Laura Friedman (D-Calif.) and Brian Jack (R-Ga.).
“We’re not talking about abstract, large companies. We’re talking about our neighbors,” Friedman said, emphasizing that the issue affects costumers, set designers, drivers, carpenters, caterers, and other local workers. Jack, whose Georgia district hosted Marvel productions in recent years, said those jobs have left for overseas, leaving craftsmen and technicians struggling.
Sean Astin, president of SAG-AFTRA, noted that global spending on entertainment is at an all-time high, but not in the U.S. “They recognize that it’s a good investment to put their money where their mouth is and bring the jobs and the business to their areas,” he said.
Charles Rivkin, MPA’s chairman and CEO, called the initiative a “jobs bill,” noting that a major production injects about $1.3 million a day into the local economy. He said he has never seen such “broad and powerful bipartisan” support on any effort. The briefing also included Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, producer Steven Paul, former Directors Guild president Thomas Schlamme, and IATSE President Matthew Loeb.
Friedman stressed that getting the tax credit done is a “top priority” for lawmakers. “In terms of the timing, the best time to have done this would have been maybe four years ago, five years ago. The second best time would be tomorrow,” she said. The lawmakers are currently drafting legislation, and the coalition is hopeful that the bipartisan momentum will translate into action.
