The Entertainment Software Association released a statement today in support of the latest details of a new tax bill from the U.S. House of Representatives. Called the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” Republican party leaders have said that the bill is meant to reduces taxes for both corporations and middle-class families.
“Today’s tax reform proposal will energize tech sector innovation and economic opportunity,” said the ESA statement. “For the $30.4 billion US video game industry, which employs more than 220,000 people all across the United States, the pro-growth policies introduced will incentivize greater US investment and more high-quality American jobs. ESA commends Speaker Ryan, Chairman Brady, House leadership, and the Ways and Means Committee for crafting a reform package that drives US economic growth. The video game industry is committed to working with congressional leaders at every stage of this process.”
GamesBeat has reached out to ESA members Activision, Epic Games, Microsoft, and Ubisoft for comment.
The ESA is the top game industry trade group in the U.S. It started the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB), which assigns age and content ratings to video games, and runs the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo trade show. It also actively lobbies the federal government for industry interests.
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In the past, it’s commented on the Trump administration’s travel ban, urging caution. At the time, many ESA members released statements condemning the ban, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Electronic Arts CEO Andrew Wilson. The ESA has come out in support of The White House’s STEM initiative and the International Communications Privacy Act, which is a new framework regarding how law enforcement can access U.S. companies’ data in overseas servers.
Update 11:27 a.m. Pacific: Microsoft has declined to comment on ESA’s statement.
