Webb was introduced to the Leadership Council by DGA President Michael Apted, who noted that he had crossed paths with the Senator about 15 years ago on a project in development. Apted expressed hope that Webb’s experiences in Hollywood make him better able to understand the concerns of DGA members, particularly the creative and economic rights issues that are discussed in Washington.

“We would like to get to know you and for you to get to know us, and for you to be one of the members in Congress we can do business with,” Apted said. “This group – the DGA PAC Leadership Council – is dedicated to the issues that affect us all as filmmakers and in our professional lives. We need to find ways to have a voice at that table.”

Webb said he was honored to meet with the Leadership Council and senior staff, including National Executive Director Jay D. Roth. The Senator, accompanied by his wife Hong and their infant daughter Georgia, assured Apted that he was well aware of the economic and cultural contributions of the industry: “I do have a good feel for how this process works and its place in the American economy. Film is the American art form and the director is the ultimate arbitrator of that art form.”

Webb said he recognized the threats posed by runaway production and piracy, adding “they’re certainly issues I care about and, having spent time out here, can intellectually get my arms around.” A decorated veteran of the U.S. Marines who served in Vietnam, and as Secretary of the Navy under President Reagan, Webb compared the localized economic impact of runaway production to the waves of military base closures, with which he has first-hand experience. Webb said the DGA would continue to best serve its members in Washington by emphasizing the business and creative sides of the industry, as the Guild recently did in participating in an MPAA symposium in Washington.

Webb noted that our country’s national interests are strengthened when we preserve and protect vital US industries, among which he included the creative ‘capital’ of films and television. In addition to enforcing existing copyright laws, Webb said it was crucial for federal lawmakers to encourage other countries to combat piracy: “It’s an issue of international agreements and that is something Congress can address.”

Webb also offered the PAC Leadership Council a unique view into his come-from-behind Senate victory over incumbent Senator George Allen (R-VA) in November. Webb, who a year ago had no campaign staff, funds or constituency, said he refused to abandon such core principles as holding the government accountable and taking a “bottom up” approach to dealing with the nation’s health care crisis. “It was a very difficult campaign but we did not let that deter us. We kept at it, I stayed relentlessly on message, and we won.”