Representative Ro Khanna, D-California, the China Committee and CITI Ranking Member, alongside Representative Rich McCormick, R-Georgia, introduced bipartisan legislation May 21, 2026, to start a federal assessment of the growing biotechnology workforce.
The Federal Biotechnology Workforce Assessment Act aims to help prepare America to support biotechnology industry growth and lead against China in discovery, invention, and entrepreneurship, a press release from Khanna’s office said.
The legislation follows the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) assessment in April 2025 that concluded a properly trained U.S. government workforce in biotechnology is necessary to ensure the U.S. leads in emerging technologies including AI and quantum.
The legislation is half of a package that pairs Rep. McCormick’s Biotechnology Workforce Alignment Act with Rep. Khanna’s Federal Biotechnology Workforce Assessment Act of 2026 — together forming what the lawmakers see as “a comprehensive, two-pronged strategy to identify workforce gaps and take decisive action to close them.”
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The bill directs the Office of Personnel Management and Budget (OPM) to coordinate with the heads of federal agencies to define the biotechnology workforce and assess current and future needs for bio-literate federal employees. This report will be submitted to Congress to ensure the U.S. government meets the demand for bio-literate employees across federal agencies that can lead policy and programmatic decisions.
“Investments into bolstering America’s federal biotechnology workforce will pave a path toward economic and scientific leadership for the U.S. the 21st-century economy. I’m proud to lead the Federal Biotechnology Workforce Assessment Act alongside Rep. Rich McCormick (GA-06) that will assess America’s preparedness to beat China in biotechnology discovery, invention, and entrepreneurship,” Rep. Khanna is quoted saying in the press release.
“America leads the world in biotechnology, and we need to keep it that way. Right now, we’re making historic investments in biotech research and biomanufacturing. Still, we’re leaving talent on the table because we don’t have a coordinated strategy to build the workforce that industry actually needs. This legislation fixes that. By aligning federal research priorities with real workforce development and getting a clear-eyed assessment of our gaps, we can ensure America stays ahead of our adversaries and continues to lead the world in the industries of tomorrow. This is exactly the kind of commonsense, results-driven governing that Americans deserve,” said Congressman McCormick.
“The biotechnology workforce is now a national security asset. These bills are an important step toward making sure the United States can stay ahead in scientific innovation, AI‑enabled discovery, and advanced biomanufacturing,” said NSCEB Commissioner Paul Arcangeli