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

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

The group left Austin on June 21 and was in Washington for three days of speakers, meetings, and advocacy.

The overall goal for the trip is twofold, first, to strengthen relationships with our federal partners and 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.

The group heard from multiple members of our Central Texas delegation of elected officials, including Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, along with Representatives Kevin Brady, Joaquin Castro, Michael Cloud, Lloyd Doggett, Michael McCaul, Chip Roy, Pete Sessions, and Roger Williams.

The group also broke into small groups and took meetings with the Federal Transit Administration, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Federal Aviation Administration, and the Transportation Security Administration.

The group also heard from Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Capitol Hill journalists Abby Livingston, Karen Tumulty, and Mark Murray. The delegation also had presentations from U.S. Chamber of Commerce, TechNet, the American Association of Community Colleges, the American Enterprise Institute, the Department of Defense, and the White House Office of the Infrastructure Coordinator.

The trip was made up of more than 60 business leaders, elected officials, local government representatives, healthcare executives, education professionals, and Austin Chamber staff who traveled to DC. The trip could not have been done without our sponsors, Ascension Seton, Austin Community College, ECPR, Enoch Kever, GreenbergTraurig, HNTB, Samsung, Southwest Airlines, and Texas State University.

Check out more the photos from the trip below and more on social media with the hashtag #ATXinDC.