WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in support of Pennsylvanian applicants to the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program, created by the CHIPS and Science Act under the Economic Development Administration.

Casey stressed the opportunities that this program would provide to help struggling Pennsylvania communities address barriers to employment like lack of transportation, child care, and adequate job training.

“I write today to express my support for the Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Recompete Pilot Program) and the many high-quality applications for that program from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. For decades, lawmakers have made decisions that prioritized big corporations and outsourcing over American communities, manufacturing, and workers. While some entities have benefited, the economic transitions triggered by these policies have left far too many communities behind… The broad demand from Pennsylvania communities for funding through the Recompete Pilot Program demonstrates how ready our stakeholders are to seize this opportunity and close the gap—for our workers, for our communities, for our state. When we invest in systems that give everyone a fair shot, we build a healthier economy and more vibrant places for Pennsylvanians to live and work,” Casey wrote.

The Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program is a targeted, place-based economic development grant program designed to support communities with a high prime-age employment gap, meaning that the share of workers between the ages of 25 and 54 participating in the labor force is significantly lower than the national average.