Trump, Schiff Back Federal Film Tax Incentive After Voight Meeting

President Donald Trump on Friday urged Congress to pass a federal tax incentive for film and television production, saying in a Truth Social post that the push is “a very Bipartisan undertaking” and that lawmakers should “GET THIS DONE!”

The post came during a White House meeting with actor Jon Voight, who has served as Trump’s ambassador to Hollywood, according to Variety. Voight and his team, producers Steven Paul and Scott Karol, were at the White House to press the president to back the incentive during the lame-duck session of Congress, Variety reported.

We shouldn’t wait until January to get things done, when there is a bipartisan opportunity to create jobs in this country right now.

President Trump and I agree: it's time for Congress to pass a federal film tax incentive.

Let's get this done! pic.twitter.com/KOmigd064c

— Senator Adam Schiff (@SenAdamSchiff) November 13, 2026

In his post, Trump said he is working with Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and, “believe it or not,” Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act. He also listed Sens. John Cornyn, Raphael Warnock, Steve Daines, Bernie Moreno, Tim Sheehy, Alex Padilla, Mark Warner, Thom Tillis, Chris Coons, Katie Britt and Dick Durbin, along with Reps. Jason Smith, Nathaniel Moran, Brian Jack and Linda Sanchez, as supporters of the bill, according to the post as published by Deadline and TheWrap.

“Hollywood, and so many other places, have been virtually ’emptied out’ by the Tax Incentives, and much more, given by other Countries,” Trump wrote. “It was MADE IN AMERICA, and must STAY IN AMERICA.”

Trump argued in the post that “hundreds of thousands of Blue Collar Workers will be positively affected” if the bill passes, and that the cost of the incentives “will be made up tenfold by the money pouring into the Treasury’s coffers.” He closed the post with “MAKE OUR ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY GREAT AGAIN!”

Schiff: Don’t wait until January

Schiff answered on X a short time later. “We shouldn’t wait until January to get things done, when there is a bipartisan opportunity to create jobs in this country right now,” Schiff wrote. “President Trump and I agree: it’s time for Congress to pass a federal film tax incentive.”

Variety reported that Voight’s team had also met with Schiff earlier in the day, and that a Democratic co-author of the measure in the House also urged Congress not to wait.

The bill would provide a 20% to 30% rebate on domestic labor costs for films and television shows, Variety reported. Deadline described the measure as a 20% incentive.

The meeting and the post came as flights across the country were halted Friday by a nationwide ground stop, according to Variety and TheWrap. TheWrap noted that the film post came before the president had commented publicly on the flight stoppage.

A tough calendar

The incentive still faces an uphill path in the weeks before the new Congress is seated in January. Variety reported that backers see finding a legislative vehicle for the bill as the main challenge during the lame-duck session, and that some lawmakers have voiced doubts that any tax bill can pass before the new year.

Supporters hope the president’s renewed push will encourage congressional leaders to make the measure a priority, according to Variety. Trump first endorsed the federal incentive in August, and the bill was introduced on a bipartisan basis in September, Variety reported.

Sources

• Sen. Adam Schiff on X
• President Trump on Truth Social
• Variety
• Deadline
• TheWrap

Reporting by Daily Beltway.