American Music Tourism Act of 2025

Floor Speech

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Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise to speak in support of H.R. 617, the American Music Tourism Act.

Madam Speaker, I know Republicans want to pretend like it is business as usual around here, but the daily chaos and illegal activity that we are seeing from the Trump administration is not business as usual.

The reality is that 15 of the 16 bills we are considering today from the Committee on Energy and Commerce, including this one, should already be law. They were already agreed to last year as part of a bipartisan, bicameral legislative package that was set to be passed and signed into law in December before Elon Musk intervened and killed the agreement.

That package included important provisions that would have lowered costs for hardworking Americans, but instead of passing it and sending it to the President's desk to be signed into law, my Republican colleagues allowed Elon Musk to decide what becomes law.

What is especially upsetting about this is that my Republican colleagues know this was a good agreement that would have helped people. It included provisions to lower prescription drug prices, crack down on junk fees, lower gas prices, ensure our water is safe to drink, and fund community health centers and teaching health centers. Instead, Speaker Johnson chose to cave to Elon Musk.

Though it may be delayed, I am pleased to be supporting the passage today of the American Music Tourism Act. Americans are fortunate to have a rich musical heritage. Throughout the United States, you can find countless venues where talented musicians perform. These venues attract millions of people from around the country and the world who want to see their favorite artists or visit the place where famous musicians have launched their careers, all of which contribute significantly to our local communities.

Music and musical venues are very important to my district in New Jersey. Asbury Park has been the home of the legendary Stone Pony for over 50 years, one of the places where New Jersey's famous son, Bruce Springsteen, got his start. Redbank, New Jersey, is the site of the Count Basie Theatre named in honor of William ``Count'' Basie, who revolutionized jazz music and whose legacy continues through the theater, which continues to support and inspire new generations of local musicians.

This is why I am pleased to support the American Music Tourism Act. This bill would direct the National Travel and Tourism Office to promote domestic and international travel and tourism to U.S. venues like The Stone Pony and the Count Basie Theatre. It will help expand the already significant economic contributions that these venues bring to our local and national economies.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Barragan for her leadership on this issue and encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

These bills, for the most part, that we are going to be considering today were part of that original package that Elon Musk negated, but we are going to try to move those bills today despite what he did to try to scuttle everything.

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Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, this bill, as I said, was part of that bipartisan package that we had hoped would be passed last December but for Elon Musk.

This bill is important. I know that back in Asbury Park, in particular, they will be very happy to know that our Congress is paying so much attention to American music tourism.

Mr. Speaker, I ask for support on both sides of the aisle for the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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