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Representatives Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) launched the bipartisan Congressional Creators Caucus<\/a> on Thursday, which aims to support the creator economy.<\/p>\n Though it once seemed like a pipe dream to make a living on the internet, this industry has become a reality \u2014 Oxford Economics estimates that YouTube\u2019s ecosystem alone powered over 390,000 full-time equivalent jobs in 2022, while Goldman Sachs estimates that the creator economy could be worth half a trillion dollars by 2027.<\/p>\n But the U.S. government doesn\u2019t have much regulatory oversight or understanding of the creator economy as it stands, leaving creator businesses in a bind.<\/p>\n \u201cAs digital content creators\u2019 online presence continues to reach billions globally, Congress must work to ensure resources and protections are in place to support their success in this new era of start-ups,\u201d Representative Clarke said in a statement<\/a>. <\/p>\n Matthew Patrick (MatPat) and Stephanie Patrick, who founded the popular digital production studio Theorist Media, spoke at a press event for the launch of the caucus. The husband and wife duo have spent over a year lobbying on Capitol Hill to advocate for creators\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re trying to educate lawmakers about what the creator economy is, and that it\u2019s an actual job and that we are actually small businesses, and as a result, there are certain tax codes and things that apply to small businesses,\u201d Matthew Patrick (the creator known as MatPat) told TechCrunch<\/a> last year. \u201cEven when you talk to accountants, they\u2019re like, well, are you though? Because there\u2019s not a clear indicator on tax forms \u2014 like, what is a creator business?\u201d<\/p>\n The Patricks have also pushed to point out that the creator economy isn\u2019t an industry confined to the coasts, in entertainment industry hotspots like New York City and Los Angeles \u2014 rather, it\u2019s an industry that needs support across the nation. Theorist Media and MrBeast<\/a>, the most popular YouTubers in the world, are both based in North Carolina. Meanwhile, John and Hank Green have used their success on YouTube to launch businesses like the educational media company Complexly<\/a>, which has headquarters in Indiana and Montana.<\/p>\n Patreon<\/a> and YouTube, two of the most vital companies that help creator businesses operate, have affirmed their support for the new caucus.<\/p>\n As a Patreon blog post explains<\/a>, creators often build businesses without the same protections that more traditional businesses have, like insurance, disaster relief, and access to loans. Even startups like Karat Financial<\/a> have sprung up to fill in some of these gaps, providing business credit cards and banking to creators who are often denied these services because legacy financial institutions don\u2019t understand their businesses.<\/p>\n \u201cToo often, creators are overlooked in economic policy discussions\u2014despite being small business owners, employers, and cultural tastemakers in every congressional district,\u201d explained Courtney Duffy, Patreon\u2019s Head of External Affairs and Strategic Engagement, in a statement. \u201cThe bipartisan Congressional Creator Caucus is a crucial step toward recognizing their impact and ensuring they have a seat at the table in shaping the policies that affect their livelihoods.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n