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U.S. Response: Lawmakers Question Project Bioshield U.S. lawmakers yesterday criticized Project Bioshield, the Bush administration’s 10-year, $5.6 billion plan to spur the pharmaceutical industry to produce medicines for bioterrorism agents, United Press International reported (see GSN, Jan. 30). During a hearing of the House Homeland Security Committee, Representative Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) said the $5.6 billion is “chicken feed to this (pharmaceutical) industry.” Rogers also suggested that the money be allocated each year instead of the decade-long appropriation. The long-term spending bill removes appropriation power from Congress, he added. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the long-term package was needed to assure drug companies that funding was available to support development of antiterrorism medicines. Representative Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) questioned the wisdom of focusing the program on several select biological agents, such as anthrax, smallpox and Ebola. “What if they just do the one thing we don’t have?” Shays asked. Garry Adams, a veterinarian and associate dean for research at Texas A&M, said the object is to close out avenues for the terrorists, making them go for more and more exotic weapons that are less effective and perhaps harder to handle (Nicholas Horrock, United Press International/Washington Times, May 16).
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