The Austin Chamber of Commerce will convene more than 60 community leaders from Central Texas for a trip to Washington D.C. this week to meet with elected officials and agency leaders about issues impacting the region.

The annual trip, on hiatus since 2019, has leaders from local government, the business community, the education sector, healthcare, and non-profit organizations traveling to the nation’s capital for three days of meetings and speakers.

“We are very excited about the great group of people we have representing Austin going to Washington D.C.,” said Laura Huffman, President and CEO of the Austin Chamber of Commerce. “It is essential that we meet with our federal leadership in person to strengthen those bonds so we can all work together on improving the Central Texas economy.”

The group will be meeting with elected officials who represent Central Texas, including Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, Congressmen Lloyd Doggett, Joaquin Castro, Michael McCaul, and Chip Roy.

The group will also be hearing from speakers including Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Capitol Hill journalists Abby Livingston, Karen Tumulty, and Mark Murray.

There will also be small group meetings with leaders from federal agencies such as the Federal Transit Administration, the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, and the Transportation Security Administration.

“This is one of the most important things the Austin Chamber does every year,” said Fred Heldenfels, Chair of the Austin Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. “It's an opportunity for community leadership to interact directly with members of congress and travel to Washington, DC to support policies that will help our region prosper.”

The overall goal for all these meetings is to advocate on Central Texas's behalf and discuss the priorities that will help our region. This includes transportation and infrastructure funding, TSA staffing and pay for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, education funding, workforce and talent development, and funding for advanced manufacturing and semiconductor manufacturing.