White House Admits Lag in Bioterror Effort
Bush & Co. still don't have a comprehensive plan to deal with bioterror threats--despite two years of planning and billions in appropriations. The alleged culprit: bureaucratic inertia. "I can't help but think we are not prepared if, God forbid, any of these catastrophes were to be visited upon the United States," says a congresswoman.
Bush & Co. still don’t have a comprehensive plan to deal with bioterror threats–despite two years of planning and billions in appropriations. The alleged culprit: bureaucratic inertia.
“I can’t help but think we are not prepared if, God forbid, any of these catastrophes were to be visited upon the United States,” says a congresswoman.
Your support matters…Washington Post:
The Bush administration acknowledged yesterday that it still lacks a strategic plan for countering bioterror threats two years after Congress created a special program and appropriated billions of dollars for the purpose, and it pledged fresh efforts to speed up and streamline the troubled Project BioShield.
Under sharp questioning on Capitol Hill from members of both parties, the administration conceded many of the criticisms that have been leveled against Project BioShield by the drug and biotechnology industries in recent months. That $5.6 billion program is meant to build an elaborate national stockpile of drugs and other measures to counter biological and radioactive weapons, but corporate executives have complained of delays, bureaucratic inertia, and other problems in the way the program is being run.
“I think what’s lacking in all this is a real sense of urgency,” said Rep. Anna G. Eshoo, a California Democrat representing much of Silicon Valley. “I can’t help but think we are not prepared if, God forbid, any of these catastrophes were to be visited upon the United States.”
Independent journalism is under threat and overshadowed by heavily funded mainstream media.
You can help level the playing field. Become a member.
Your tax-deductible contribution keeps us digging beneath the headlines to give you thought-provoking, investigative reporting and analysis that unearths what's really happening- without compromise.
Give today to support our courageous, independent journalists.
With the world's largest tropical forest under continuous assault, Brazilian scientists propose rescuing it as a kind of lab to help develop biotechnology products.
Thanks in part to WikiLeaks, we now know that the State Department is acting like a global sales agent for biotech behemoths such as Monsanto.
Cancer, Parkinson's and infertility--these are just some of the diseases and health problems that a new study says may be linked to heavy use of the world's most popular herbicide.
You need to be a supporter to comment.
There are currently no responses to this article.
Be the first to respond.