WASHINGTON- Today, Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Jim Langevin (D-RI), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, hosted a roundtable with members of the House Armed Services Committee. The session was an opportunity to receive an update on the inadvertent transfer of live anthrax samples by the Department of Defense. Following the briefing, the Congressmen said:
Today, Representatives Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Jim Langevin (D-RI), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, hosted a roundtable with members of the House Armed Services Committee. The session was an opportunity to receive an update on the inadvertent transfer of live anthrax samples by the Department of Defense. Following the briefing, the Congressmen said:
“The recent news that the Department of Defense accidentally shipped live samples of anthrax to federal and private partner labs is very troubling. Our subcommittee has been monitoring the situation and receiving updates on the ongoing investigation led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Today, the Department of Defense gave an update on its mitigation efforts, as well as the status of the comprehensive review being conducted of DoD laboratory procedures, processes, and protocols. We appreciate the seriousness and urgency that the Department is demonstrating in response to the incidents.
“The proliferation and potential use of biological agents remains a grave and enduring threat to the Nation and to our deployed military forces. To deal with those threats, it is critical that the Department maintains a robust program to develop biological countermeasures, including vaccines, therapeutics, protective gear and environmental monitoring.
“At the same time, it is also essential that the Department maintains a robust safety program to ensure these dangerous agents are handled and transported with the strictest of precautions. Clearly, the current safeguards did not work in these cases. The Committee will remain engaged as the response moves forward, will work to make sure the investigation is transparent, and that steps are taken to make sure this does not happen again.”
