Discuss proposed Paramount–Warner Bros. merger, local job loss, and national film tax credit
Above: Friedman and Schiff on at the spotlight hearing in Burbank.
BURBANK, CA — Today, March 20, 2026, U.S. Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30) joined Senator Adam Schiff’s Senate Spotlight Hearing titled “Lights, Camera, Competition: Promoting American Film Production” in Burbank to examine the growing threats facing the American film and TV industry and its workforce.
At the hearing, Friedman discussed her work on a national film tax credit, the proposed $110 billion Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery merger, and ongoing local job loss in the industry.
“We’ve lost 40% of our production jobs in three years, one-third of our soundstages are sitting empty, and now a $110 billion merger is threatening to gut even more jobs,” said Congresswoman Laura Friedman (CA-30). “That’s why this spotlight hearing matters, and I want to thank Senator Schiff for bringing it to Burbank, where these job losses hit home. I’m fighting for a federal production tax credit that levels the playing field, and I won’t stop until we get it done.”
FRIEDMAN’S WORK TO PROTECT INDUSTRY JOBS:
- Friedman has been working on bipartisan legislation to create a national film tax credit to help the United States remain competitive in the global market and encourage domestic filming.
- In February 2026, Friedman and Sen. Schiff sent a joint letter to Netflix and Paramount demanding concrete commitments to preserve and expand film and television jobs in Los Angeles as both companies pursued the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
- Friedman has been a leading voice in Congress on protecting entertainment workers from the impacts of corporate consolidation, AI, and the offshoring of American production to countries with tax incentives.
- The entertainment industry supports more than 680,000 jobs and contributes more than $115 billion annually to the regional economy.
- California has lost 40% of its production jobs since 2022, dropping from 136,000 to 82,000.
- Soundstage occupancy in Los Angeles has plummeted from more than 90% to just 62%.
- On-location filming in LA has declined for three consecutive years — down 20% in 2023, 14% in 2024, and 16.1% in 2025.
- Competing markets in the United Kingdom, New York, Georgia, and Ontario have more than doubled their soundstage capacity in the last five years.
The Spotlight Hearing, “Lights, Camera, Competition: Promoting American Film Production,” was led by Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and held in Burbank, California. Witnesses included actor Noah Wyle, IATSE President Matthew Loeb, Jim Acosta, and Jax Deluca, executive director of the Future Film Coalition.
Rep. Friedman represents California’s 30th Congressional District, which encompasses nearly every major film studio in Hollywood.
Below: Friedman at the spotlight hearing.
