Creators deserve a seat at the table—the Congressional Creators Caucus is a step in the right direction

Today marks a pivotal moment for the creator economy: Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) announced the bipartisan Congressional Creators Caucus— a new initiative aimed at recognizing and supporting the economic, cultural, and entrepreneurial impact of digital creators across the country. This is a big win for creators, and as a platform committed to supporting their success, it’s also an important step forward for Patreon.

We've been proud to work with the offices of Rep. Clarke and Rep. Van Duyne on this initiative to bring creators into these important conversations. As our very own Courtney Duffy, Head of External Affairs & Strategic Engagement, said in the announcement today, “Too often, creators are overlooked in economic policy conversations, despite being small business owners, job creators, & cultural leaders in every congressional district. The bipartisan Congressional Creators Caucus signals growing recognition of creators’ impact, and a commitment to making sure creators have a say in the policies that shape their work and livelihoods.”

Because here’s the reality: “Creator” isn’t a trend, it’s a profession. Creators are educators, filmmakers, musicians, podcasters, and journalists. They pay taxes. They hire people. They build deep, loyal communities around their work. But they do all of this without the basic, long-term protections and resources other small and large business owners rely on—like insurance, disaster relief, and fair access to loans.

Platforms like Patreon offer tools to help creators grow and sustain their businesses by connecting directly with fans—and we’re actively exploring ways to advocate for broader access to essential benefits and resources like health care, tax credits, and financial support. Our CEO Jack Conte spoke about this at last year’s Web Summit—and we’re not the only ones. Creators like YouTuber MatPat have been pushing for this, too. At today’s launch, he put it simply: “This is just as much a Creator Economy Caucus as it is a Future Economy Caucus.”

But we can’t do it alone. We need to see more from governing bodies and policy makers to legitimize the creator economy and bring it into the fold of small business support. Because what creators really deserve is something more foundational: stability. Recognition. The ability and freedom to build a future without constantly bracing for volatility. In other words, the same basic footing we all want when we decide to make a living doing what we love.

We’re excited to engage with caucus leaders, share what we’ve learned from the creators on Patreon, and help policymakers understand just how big—and how vital—the creator economy is. We applaud Representatives Clarke and Van Duyne for their leadership in recognizing creators as part of America’s longstanding tradition of entrepreneurship, and as key contributors to a strong, dynamic, and competitive economy.

Creators interested in engaging with the bipartisan Congressional Creators Caucus can submit an application here.