Tag: Senator Orrin Hatch

President Trump Signs the Music Modernization Act into Law

Bethany Bowman

Surrounded by musicians from nearly every genre, President Trump signed into law the Music Modernization Act – a measure that will overhaul how music is licensed and songwriters are compensated in the United States. As previously reported by The Tennessee Star, the bill, sponsored by retiring Utah Sentor Orrin Hatch, was designed to update the outdated copyright laws governing songwriting to reflect the realities of the 21st century. Kid Rock, Mercy Me, the Beach Boys, Sam Moore, Craig Morgan and John Rich – along with music industry bigwigs such as Neil Portnow and the infamous Busbee were among those joining the president at the White House. The president explained: The Music Modernization Act closes loopholes in our digital royalty laws to ensure that songwriters, artists, producers, and providers receive fair payment for the licensing of music.  I’ve been reading about this for many years. [I] never thought I’d be involved in it, but I got involved in it.  They were treated very unfairly.  They’re not going to be treated unfairly anymore.  Streaming has made music more accessible than ever, yet our laws have not kept up with the pace of technology.  As such, artists of all varieties and all career…

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Controversial Music Modernization Act on Verge of Crucial Senate Verbal Vote

Jason M. Reynolds

The U.S. Senate is on the verge of holding a verbal vote on the Music Modernization Act, leaving many in the industry to say it is a step in the right direction while a few say the legislation is out of tune with established business practices. Nashville Public Radio reports that advocates of the Music Modernization Act say the legislation will clear the U.S. Senate soon. Supporters include U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN). The measure has been stalled in the upper chamber after having passed in the House of Representatives earlier this year. Companies like Sirius XM and private equity firm Blackstone, which owns performance rights organization SESAC, have concerns with the act, Nashville Public Radio says. Streaming services like Sirius XM say they already fairly pay artists. The company sent a letter to the Senate saying the act would force it to pay again for music produced prior to 1972 that it already has licensed, Billboard reported Sunday. The bill was planned for a verbal vote in the Senate early this week, Billboard said in a story Monday. One no vote could force the measure into a formal vote, and time is running out for such action before the…

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Commentary: The Perfidious Mitt Romney

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Mitt Romney & Orrin Hatch

by George Rasley   That didn’t take long. As soon as President Trump endorsed Mitt Romney’s candidacy to succeed Utah’s retiring Senator Orin Hatch and voters in the Beehive State handed the nomination to Romney (even though he actually lost the GOP State Convention vote) Mitt showed his true colors by back-stabbing Trump. Romney told MSNBC’s Kasie Hunt, in an interview that aired Sunday evening, that it is “too early” to say he will support President Trump in 2020, and just to make things perfectly clear, he said his prior prediction that Trump will get re-elected was not an endorsement. “I also think Gavin Newsom will get elected [as governor] in California. That’s not something I want to see, it’s just something that’s probably going to happen,” Romney added. Romney was also prompted to speak about whether he wants a Republican to challenge Trump in a 2020 primary. “There will be people who decide, I presume, to get in a Republican primary,” he said in reply to a question from Ms. Hunt reported by our friend Daniel Chaitin of the Washington Examiner. But Romney’s perfidy was well-telegraphed before he appeared on Far Left network MSNBC. In a Salt Lake Tribune op-ed headlined, “Where I stand…

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Bob Corker Won’t Stop Undermining Trump in Trade Battle, Democrats Offer Him a Helping Hand

John Bryant
Trump-Corker-Toomey

A new item out at Politico highlights just how determined outgoing Tennessee Senator Bob Corker is to cause problems for President Trump in trade negotiations while he still continues to have the power to do it. And Republican Senator from Pennsylvania Pat Toomey is helping him do it. Corker restarts tariff battle with Trump The frequent Trump critic is seizing on the Senate’s farm bill to try to curb the president’s tariffs. GOP Sen. Bob Corker is making a new push to allow Congress to block President Donald Trump’s tariffs on U.S. allies, though GOP leaders may stop it in its tracks once again. The Tennessee senator is offering an amendment written with Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) to the Senate’s farm bill this week that would allow Congress to approve or disapprove of tariffs levied against countries on national security justifications. Naturally, President Trump opposes the effort, as does Senate Finance Chairman Orin Hatch, calling it “too broad.” Trump opposes the amendment, and it could imperil the farm bill if the amendment is adopted. Party leaders are not sure whether it has 60 votes to succeed; Corker and Toomey argue the only way to find out is to hold a…

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