Blue Ribbon Study Panel

Floor Speech

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Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, last week I was grateful to chair the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities hearing to receive outside views on biodefense for the Department of Defense and review the bipartisan report of the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense.

Chaired by former Senator Joe Lieberman and former Governor and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, the panel evaluated the status of prevention, deterrence, preparedness, detection, response, attribution, recovery, and mitigation of our Nation's biodefense.

The report was clear. Our Nation faces a complex threat from both biological weapons and naturally occurring diseases. For example, the recent response to the Ebola outbreak demonstrates the importance of the Department of Defense's biodefense contributions to broader government and global efforts.

I am grateful that the former Attorney General Ken Wainstein and Dr. Gerald Parker, both members of the panel, were there testifying before the subcommittee. I look forward to working with the Department of Defense to implement the findings and recommendations.

In conclusion, God bless our troops, and may the President, by his actions, never forget September the 11th in the global war on terrorism.

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