New Dems Urge Congressional Leaders to Ensure the Recompete Pilot Program to Spur Economic Growth Remains in the Final Bipartisan Innovation Bill
The Recompete Pilot Will Help Create Jobs and Economic Opportunities in Persistently Distressed Communities Across the Country
Today, as Congress begins the conference process for the Senate-passed U.S. Innovation and Competition Act and the House-passed America COMPETES Act, New Democrat Coalition (NDC) Leadership Members pushed Congressional Leaders to ensure NDC Chair Emeritus Derek Kilmer’s (WA-06) Recompete pilot program to spur economic development and create opportunities in persistently distressed communities remains in the final legislation. This program is one of the Coalition’s top priorities and was included in the House-passed America COMPETES Act.
“I grew up in Port Angeles and was in high school right around the time the timber industry took it on the chin. I saw a lot of my friends’ parents lose their jobs. It had a big impact on me - and I’ve spent most of my adult life trying to figure out how to make sure we are doing a better job of protecting workers and communities so that no one gets left behind in our society and economy,” said New Democrat Coalition Chair Emeritus Derek Kilmer (WA-06). “That’s why I’m proud that a pilot version of the bipartisan RECOMPETE Act was included in the House-passed America Competes Act of 2022 – and why I’m proud that the New Democrat Coalition is pushing for it to be included in the final bipartisan innovation bill. The RECOMPETE Act is a bold proposal to provide flexible, long-term grant assistance to create jobs and lay the foundation for long-term economic growth and opportunity in communities across the country. It’s about ensuring people have economic opportunity – regardless of what zip code they live in.”
“The bipartisan innovation bill is a golden opportunity to unlock the untapped potential of communities across the nation and create good opportunities for all Americans. Rep. Kilmer’s Recompete pilot accomplishes exactly this by empowering persistently distressed communities to create jobs and invest in their long-term economic competitiveness and success,” said NDC Chair Suzan DelBene (WA-01). “New Dems are focused on spurring widespread economic growth and have long championed the Recompete program. We will continue to push for it to be included in the final bipartisan innovation bill, and are ready to get the final bill to the President’s desk as soon as possible.”
The letter from New Dem Leadership Members to Congressional leadership and leadership for the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation reads in part,
“Both USICA and the America COMPETES Acts make critical investments to spur American innovation, create jobs and opportunities, empower the next generation of American innovators, and promote American values and ingenuity on the global stage. The Recompete pilot compliments those efforts, including investments in new regional innovation hubs, so we can maximize our investments and leverage the talent of hard-working Americans all across this country. We urge you to maintain the Recompete pilot in the final bill and look forward to working together to take swift action and ensure the bill is signed into law for the benefit of our communities and our country.
New Dems are committed to getting the final bipartisan innovation bill across the finish line to ensure the U.S. can compete and lead on the global stage, create jobs, grow our economy, strengthen supply chains, and fight long-term inflationary pressures.
Read the full letter here and below:
Dear Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McCarthy, Majority Leader Schumer, Minority Leader McConnell, Chair Johnson, Ranking Member Lucas, Chair Cantwell, and Ranking Member Wicker:
The New Democrat Coalition (NDC) has continued to support swift action on legislation that invests in American innovation, creates more jobs, and grows the economy, and we thank you for your leadership. For the U.S. to truly lead the global economy, we need to unleash untapped potential and resources all across the nation, including by investing in the communities that have been left behind. As Congress begins the conference process for the United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) and the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength Act (America COMPETES) Act, we urge you to maintain language from the Sec. 110001 of H.R. 4521, the America COMPETES Act that authorizes a pilot version of the bipartisan Rebuilding Economies and Creating Opportunities for More People Everywhere to Excel Act (RECOMPETE Act).
Roughly 30 percent of the U.S. population live in economically distressed communities that have largely been left out of the economic growth, jobs, opportunities, and investment that have been concentrated in a handful of major metropolitan areas in recent decades. The final bipartisan innovation bill is a critical opportunity to ensure every American has the opportunity to succeed in the economy of the future. The Recompete pilot grant program included in the America COMPETES Act would authorize $4 billion for the Economic Development Administration (EDA) to carry out a pilot of a new federal grant program to empower persistently distressed communities to develop, implement, and carry out I 0-year comprehensive economic development strategies in order to create lasting economic growth, opportunities, and jobs.
The RECOMPETE Act was introduced by Reps. Kilmer and Herrera-Beutler in the House and by Sens. Coons, Bennet, and Klobuchar in the Senate, with the support of over 50 bipartisan Members of Congress, including 39 members of the New Democrat Coalition. It has been endorsed by the National League of Cities, the New Democrat Coalition, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the Progressive Policy Institute, Third Way, the Economic Innovation Group, and the Federal Issues Committee of the Washington State Association of Counties.
Over recent decades, the U.S. has significantly underinvested in both scientific and engineering research and economic development. Both USICA and the America COMPETES Acts make critical investments to spur American innovation, create jobs and opportunities, empower the next generation of American innovators, and promote American values and ingenuity on the global stage. The Recompete pilot compliments those efforts, including investments in new regional innovation hubs, so we can maximize our investments and leverage the talent of hard-working Americans all across this country. We urge you to maintain the Recompete pilot in the final bill and look forward to working together to take swift action and ensure the bill is signed into law for the benefit of our communities and our country.
Sincerely,
New Dem Leadership Members Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Scott Peters (CA-52), Ami Bera (CA-07), Sharice Davids (KS-03), Ann McLane Kuster (NH-02), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Kathy Manning (NC-06), Bradley Schneider (IL-10), and Stacey E. Plaskett (VI-AL)
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