|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
U.S. Response: House Passes Bioterrorism Response Bill By Kerry Boyd In a 425-1 vote, the House passed the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act. According to a House Energy And Commerce Committee press release, the bill includes: * $1.5 billion for general preparedness, such as training and drug research; * $1.15 billion to expand the U.S. stockpile of drugs, including smallpox vaccine (see GSN, May 16); * $545 million to increase food safety (see GSN, May 6); * $300 million for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention upgrades (see GSN, March 21); and * $100 million to analyze drinking water vulnerabilities (see GSN, May 20). The bill also includes provisions to stockpile potassium iodide — a drug that prevents absorption of radioactive iodine — within 20 miles of nuclear power plants (see GSN, March 21) “This critically important legislation includes everything from beefed up food safety regulations to tightened controls on deadly biological agents and improves communications between and among all levels of government, public health officials, first responders and health care providers and facilities during emergencies,” Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin (R-La.) said in a press release. “This is a good bill and an excellent start as this nation works to improve its ability to defend against an assault involving biologic agents,” ranking member John Dingell (D-Mich.) said in a statement. Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas) was the only legislator to vote against the bill, mostly due to civil liberty concerns, he said. Paul is concerned that if the government stockpiles vaccines rather than providing them on the open market, the move might create a potential for forced vaccinations, a Paul aide told Global Security Newswire. Paul believes that some proposed response plans at the state level, which might serve as a future national model, raise serious civil rights concerns, such as allowing authorities to forcibly quarantine and vaccinate people, according to the aide (see GSN, Nov. 8, 2001). Paul also objects to provisions in the bill that expand a program under which pharmaceutical companies pay extra fees to the Food and Drug Administration to expedite drug approval applications, the aide said. Such fees are actually an increased tax on pharmaceutical companies, according to the aide. Some reports have said the Senate might vote on its version of the bill this week, but a Senate Commerce Committee aide said the vote might take place after the Memorial Day weekend.
| ||||||||||
Back to top
