WASHINGTON, D.C. — In Congress, new bills are proposed every day, but it’s not every day there’s a 'concert' to go along with their unveiling. Orlando band Venture Motel made its way to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to drum up support for Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost's new legislation to create federal grants for emerging artists. 

Frost’s DC office became a packed music venue on Wednesday as Venture Motel played before dozens of Congressional staffers. 

Wilson Bohman, one of the artists, told the crowd that while the group is passionate about playing, it can be difficult to fund their indie band due to bills, schooling, work obligations and other demands. 

“Even in our own band, we struggle to find ways to pay for necessary items or services we need to advance ourselves to the next level of production and professionalism,” Bohman said. 

But, Frost, who is a musician, is seeking to give artists like Venture Motel a boost. He’s sponsored the CREATE Art Act, which would establish four different federal grants for artists. They range from a “Progress Grant” of up to $2,000, which would “support a year of artist activities” to a “Project Grant” of up to $100,000 per project “that can be used over two years.” The funds can be used for things like touring and travel costs, and musician or rehearsal fees. 

“My CREATE Art Act is going to bridge this gap and help empower artists to be able to do what they do best, which is create, Frost said. 

Though the bill has Democratic supporters, it will face tough odds in this Congress as Republicans control the House and continue to seek spending cuts. According to Frost’s office, performing artists contribute more than $150 billion to the economy annually, and they note that Canada has a similar grant program in place.