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The Honorable Todd Young 185 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510	The Honorable Alex Padilla 331 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510
The Honorable Stephanie Bice 2402 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515	The Honorable Ro Khanna 306 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Senators Young and Padilla and Representatives Bice and Khanna,

On behalf of the ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿, which represents over 37,000 scientists dedicated to advancing the microbial sciences, thank you for introducing the National Biotechnology Initiative Act (H.R. 2756 /S. 1387). Your leadership marks an essential step toward strengthening America’s bioeconomy.

Microbes and microbial processes are the foundation of the bioeconomy, spurring innovation across health, agriculture, energy and the environment. While microbiology has rapidly advanced, the U.S. bioeconomy has lagged—often hampered by fragmented policies, outdated research infrastructure and a lack of coordination across federal agencies.

Current federal efforts focused on expansion and lowering barriers to the bioeconomy have lacked a central strategy and authority to coordinate across the federal government. This legislation would address these concerns by authorizing a National Biotechnology Initiative, an interagency committee and a National Biotechnology Coordination Office located within the White House. The initiative will facilitate a comprehensive bioeconomy strategy across the federal government, support biotechnology workforce development, promote biological data standards, modernize regulatory frameworks and proactively address biosecurity and biosafety concerns. These coordinated strategies are essential to ensuring the U.S. remains a global leader in biotechnology. 

ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿supports this legislation and urges timely congressional action. This bill provides tools, vision and strategies needed to advance the U.S. bioeconomy and to translate scientific breakthroughs into real-world solutions. As the bioeconomy continues to accelerate, policies, programs and funding must keep pace. If you have any questions, please contact Nick Cox, Senior Federal Affairs Officer, at ncox@asmusa.org.

Sincerely,



Amalia Corby
Director of Federal Affairs
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