Creators on Capitol Hill: Launching the Senate Creators Caucus
YouTube Creators join the launch of the bipartisan Senate Creators Caucus, co-chaired by Senators Cory Booker and John Kennedy.
Sep 17, 2026 [[read-time]] minute read
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This week, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) announced the launch of the Senate Creators Caucus, recognizing creators as small business owners, job engines, and culture drivers.
Following last year’s debut of the Congressional Creators Caucus, this is another milestone moment for the creator economy. In both chambers of Congress, digital entrepreneurs now have a dedicated forum to speak to lawmakers directly about the realities of running a modern media enterprise and building pro-creator policy frameworks.
To kick-off the launch, YouTube creators joined a panel discussion moderated by Dylan Wells from The Washington Post where they shared an inside look at their business models, headwinds, and opportunities.
The panel featured Jackie Aina, Matthew Patrick of Game Theory, Ian Schwartzman of the Joe Budden Network, Avery Smith of the Louisiana Crawfish Company, Sage Steele of The Sage Steele Show, and Mark Vins of Brave Wilderness.
They were also joined by Destiny Adams, Ericka Bozeman of BOZE vs. the WORLD, Jacklyn Dallas of Nothing But Tech, Dr. Javoris Hollingsworth of Gracie’s Corner, Dr. Judith Joseph, Shira Lazar of What’s Trending, Dr. Tracey Marks, and Kati Morton.
You can watch the full discussion from C-SPAN here.
In their own words
“Content creators are more than our favorite teachers, cooks, music critics, and voices online. They are also entrepreneurs who create jobs, drive economic growth, and invest in their communities. Creators represent a growing sector of the economy, but Congress and our laws haven’t kept up. The bipartisan Senate Creators Caucus seeks to change that by educating lawmakers, advocating for policies that have creators in mind, and ensuring that creators are recognized as legitimate small businesses.”
— Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Caucus Co-Chair
“America’s content creators are entrepreneurs. They’re turning good ideas into careers, building businesses and reaching millions of people in ways that weren’t possible a generation ago. Creators and social media have tremendous influence over how Americans communicate and get information, and that influence comes with a responsibility to be honest and tell the truth. Senator Booker and I started this caucus to hear directly from creators, better understand this growing part of our economy and make sure they have a voice in Congress.”
— Senator John Kennedy (R-LA), Caucus Co-Chair
“Today, there are 16 full-time employees and a wide network of partners, contractors, and managers that make Brave Wilderness content happen for our audience. Like all channels we started from zero subscribers but have now created thousands of videos with over 6 billion views because of the growth potential that exists on YouTube. We’re here to help to shape policies that will protect and grow the next generation of creator businesses””
— Mark Vins, CEO and Co-Founder of Brave Wilderness
“YouTube creators are online storytellers, entrepreneurs, and employers in every state across the country. We're grateful to Senators Booker and Kennedy for launching the Senate Creators Caucus to ensure America’s digital creators have a strong voice in Washington.”
— Leslie Miller, Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy at YouTube
What’s next
Over the coming months, YouTube will work with the Senate Creators Caucus and the Congressional Creators Caucus will continue to connect creators directly with Capitol Hill.
This week, creators met with congressional offices to support the NO FAKES Act, which protects people from unauthorized, AI-generated digital replicas of their voice and visual likeness. Creators shared how this new right would benefit their businesses and protect their reputations, and urged Congress to pass the bipartisan bill before adjourning for the year.
We look forward to continuing our close work with Senators Booker and Kennedy, as well as Congressional Creators Caucus co-chairs Representatives Beth Van Duyne and Yvette Clarke, to ensure that the economic and cultural impact of the creator economy continues to ripple across the country.