Senator Reverend Warnock, a champion for workforce development, joined his Senate colleagues in pushing the Department of Commerce and the Office of Management and Budget to fully fund the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program in the President’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2024

Senator Reverend Warnock championed funding regional tech hubs and other workforce development provisions in the jobs and competition law, known as the Chips and Science law, which was codified last summer

Sandy Springs/Roswell, Warner Robins, Columbus, and Savannah have been identified as top candidates to become regional tech hubs

Lawmakers to the Biden Administration: “The Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program intends to promote increased geographic diversity of innovation across the United States, to support domestic job creation and broad-based economic growth for all Americans. We need the contributions of the whole nation in order to compete and continue to be a leader in technology”

ICYMI from 13WMAZ: ‘A win-win for jobs’: Sen. Warnock supports Central Georgia ‘tech hubs’ boosting STEM careers

Washington, D.C. —Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) joined a bipartisan group of senators to push the Biden Administration to fully fund regional tech hubs in the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget request. The letter was addressed to Department of Commerce Secretary Raimondo and Office Management and Budget Director Young. Senator Warnock led the charge to secure funding for regional tech hubs in the jobs and competition law, also known as the CHIPS and Science law, which was signed and codified last summer. The CHIPS and Science law directs the Department of Commerce to create geographically-distributed regional tech hubs to focus on technology development, job creation, and expanding U.S. innovation capacity. 

“The Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program intends to promote increased geographic diversity of innovation across the United States, to support domestic job creation and broad-based economic growth for all Americans,” wrote the lawmakers.“We need the contributions of the whole nation in order to compete and continue to be a leader in technology… We urge you to support strong funding for the hubs program at the authorized funding level in order to accelerate innovation by tapping into the significant resources available in small and medium sized communities across the country.”

As a conference committee member for the jobs and competition bill, Senator Warnock identified regional tech hubs as a top priority for Georgia in the legislation and successfully secured the provision in the final legislation. The Senator’s leadership on the issue follows the findings of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professors that Sandy Springs/Roswell, Warner Robins, Columbus, and Savannah are top candidates to receive funding for a regional tech hub. A regional tech hub pilot program was created at Georgia Tech in 2021. Senator Warnock visited the site with Secretary Raimondo ahead of the CHIPS and Science law passage to emphasize the importance of this program.

The full text of the letter to Secretary Raimondo and Director Young is available here and below: 

Dear Secretary Raimondo and Director Young:

As strong supporters of the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program created in the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act, we write to urge you to include full authorized funding for the program in the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget request. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 included $500 million for the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program for Fiscal Year 2023, nearly $1 billion short of the $1.485 billion authorized by Congress for Fiscal Year 2023. To make up for the shortfall in Fiscal Year 2023, and keep pace with levels authorized by Congress, we encourage you to request additional funding for the program to help ensure U.S. global economic and technological leadership.

The Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program will award grants to groups of local, State, Tribal, and Federal government entities, institutions of higher education, the private sector, economic development organizations, labor organizations, nonprofit organizations, and community organizations. Grant awards will be selected in a competitive process, based on applicants’ ability to develop broad-based regional innovation initiatives that will improve American leadership in technology and innovation, support economic development and resilience, serve underserved communities, modernize manufacturing, support domestic job creation, and accelerate the adoption and domestic production of innovative research. We look forward to working with the Administration to fulfill this promise in the CHIPS and Science Act.

The Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program intends to promote increased geographic diversity of innovation across the United States, to support domestic job creation and broad- based economic growth for all Americans. We need the contributions of the whole nation in order to compete and continue to be a leader in technology. According to a Brookings Institution report, a third of the nation’s innovation jobs reside in only 16 counties, despite significant talent nationwide. Additional funding for the program will help other areas develop their regional innovation strategies and begin funding the business, technology, and workforce development activities at geographically diverse regional hubs.

We urge you to support strong funding for the hubs program at the authorized funding level in order to accelerate innovation by tapping into the significant resources available in small and medium sized communities across the country. Thank you for your consideration, we look forward to working with you on this important priority.

Sincerely,

For more information about Senator Warnock’s leadership in passing the Chips and Science Law, visit HERE.

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