Congress Watch · Report · File No. 261114-835
Trump and Schiff back federal film tax credit, a rare deal between old foes
President Trump says he is working with Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff on a bill for federal tax credits for U.S. film and TV production. It is a rare point of agreement between two longtime adversaries.
Every quote in this story (1) was matched word for word against its source. How we work
President Donald Trump said Friday he is working with Sen. Adam Schiff, a California Democrat, on a bipartisan bill to create federal tax credits for film and television shows made mainly in the United States 1. Schiff led the House case against Trump in his first impeachment trial 1.
The bill is the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act. Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican, introduced it on Sept. 24 with Schiff, Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock. It sits in the Senate Finance Committee 1.
What Trump and Schiff said
In a Truth Social post, Trump listed a dozen senators and several House members from both parties he said he is working with, including Schiff 1. He said Hollywood had been "emptied out" by "Tax Incentives, and much more, given by other Countries." He named Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia 1.
President Trump and I agree: it's time for Congress to pass a federal film tax incentive. Let's get this done!
Schiff shared screenshots of the post on X. He said Congress should not wait until January to act 1.
From Channel GOPTrump waited for presidency to sue IRS for $10 billionAdam Schiff · 242 plays · captioned, with the source named
What the bill would do
The bill would create a 20% tax credit on U.S. labor costs for film and TV productions. The credit could rise to 30% with bonuses, including one for independent productions 2. Eligible projects must cost more than $1 million and shoot at least 75% of their principal filming days in the U.S. 2.
The Motion Picture Association, the industry trade group, backs a federal incentive. It commissioned a study projecting $125 billion in added production spending and more than 143,000 jobs by 2035 2. That is an industry projection, not an independent finding.
The slump behind the push
FilmLA data reviewed by the Los Angeles Times show on-location shoot days in Los Angeles have fallen by nearly 50% since 2019 1. Federal labor data show the Los Angeles film and sound recording sector lost 57,000 jobs over the last four years 1.
ACME Directory, a production resource company, reported that more than 80 local production service businesses closed between 2022 and 2025 1. In the United Kingdom, spending on film and high-end TV production reached $6.9 billion in 2024, up 31% from the year before, according to the British Film Institute 1.
What happens next
No vote has been scheduled in the sources we reviewed. The bill must clear the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax measures, before it can move 1. Newsweek said it had asked Schiff for comment outside office hours 1.
Trump previously floated 100% tariffs on films made abroad. Some industry analysts warn that could prompt other countries to retaliate against American entertainment exports 1. Trump said he hopes "Republicans and Democrats will get together" to pass the bill 1.
That matters because the two men have a bitter history. Trump has repeatedly attacked Schiff in public and has accused him of treason 1. A tax bill with backers in both parties is a test of whether that history gets in the way of a deal.
The Record
- Trump was acquitted at the Senate impeachment trial where Schiff served as lead House manager; the trial ended in early 2020 1.
- Scott, Schiff, Cornyn and Warnock introduce the film and TV tax credit bill in the Senate 1.
- Trump posts on Truth Social that he is working with Schiff and other lawmakers on the bill 1.
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Sources
- Newsweek, “Donald Trump Teams Up With Adam Schiff to Save Hollywood” (2026-11-14). newsweek.com/donald-trump-teams-up-with-adam-schiff-to-save-
- CPA Practice Advisor, “Hollywood Would Get 20% Federal Film Tax Credit Under Proposed New Bill” (2026-09-24). cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/09/24/hollywood-would-get-20-fed
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