U.S. Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo. 1st District, is co-sponsoring bipartisan legislation that would create regional defense hubs across the country. He told Missourinet the bill would serve as job creators for the regions where they’re awarded.
“These hubs would support talent development, technology transition, and collaboration among universities, defense partners, nonprofits, and local governments,” Bell said.
He also said that one of those defense hubs could likely be located in the St. Louis region. Bell cited the presence of Boeing, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and Scott Air Force Base across the Mississippi River in Illinois.
“Our region has a large defense footprint, building on our talent base at home, creating strong jobs and a strong expansive workforce, which underlines our overall goal of driving regional growth,” he said. “I think St. Louis is in a unique position to not only compete, but also lead in R&D, (in) tech and talent, because there’s a lot of jobs and a lot of opportunities.”
The Defense Technology Hubs Act of 2026 is also co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Deborah Ross, D-North Carolina 2nd Dist.; Richard Hudson, R-North Carolina 8th Dist.; and Mark Messmer, R-Indiana 8th Dist.
Bell serves on the U.S. House Armed Services Committee and is a member of the House Defense Modernization Caucus.
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