Passage of the Performance Rights Act, which was sponsored by House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers and Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, "would eviscerate this remaining, powerful resource," the letter from Rainbow PUSH and the Lawyers' Committee said. LCCR sent a separate letter to Conyers expressing similar concerns. The letters raise "important questions regarding the negative impact of the performance tax on minority broadcasters, niche programming formats and media diversity," said Dennis Wharton, a spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters, which is leading the lobbying effort against the legislation. He added that "minority broadcasters often serve as the only voice for African-American and immigrant communities."