CBC Members Convene Roundtable with Defense Department Leaders on HBCU Funding

Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) and Congressman Marc Veasey (D-TX), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Black Caucus Foreign Affairs and National Security Taskforce, are convening a roundtable discussion on Tuesday with leaders from the Department of Defense (DoD) and HBCUs to discuss funding opportunities for research and other partnership activities for students and faculty. Unlike other agencies, the DoD's budget is scheduled to grow by an estimated $80 billion this fiscal year and will likely exceed $700 billion total for 2019. Yet, HBCUs and African American businesses see a very small percentage of research and contracting dollars. WaPo recently reported that Lockheed Martin received over $35 billion in government contracts last year -- almost as much as the budget of the entire Department of State. Though the DoD has engaged HBCUs before, there’s more work to be done. As part of its HBCU and Minority-Serving Institutions (HBCU/MIS) initiatives, the DoD welcomed 81 student interns and 15 faculty Fellows from these institutions who engaged in basic research at Defense laboratories for a 10-week period over the summer. Congressman Anthony Brown (D-MD) in July successfully pushed an amendment that authorized another DoD HBCU/MSI program at $40 million -- a 54% increase and $7 million above current levels. Veasey and Bass aim to amplify the DoD’s engagement with HBCUs in an even more financially tangible way. They will be joined tomorrow by Brown, HBCU Caucus Co-Chair Congresswoman Alma Adams (D-NC), and Congressman Donald McEachin (D-VA). Stay tuned to The Beat DC for details on what comes of the meeting.