Transcripts For CSPAN2 Joint House Hearing On Biological Sec

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This joint subcommittee hearing with the House Foreign Affairs subcommittee on asia, the pacific and on proliferation of the House Armed Services subcommittee on intelligence and emerging threats and capabilities will come to order. Without objection the chair is authorized to declare a recess of the committee at any point at all members want five days is a bit statements, extremist vitriol and questions for the record. Subject to the length, limitation in the rules. To insert something into the record please have your staff email either subcommittee clerk. As a reminder to members please keep your video function on at all times, even when youre not recognized by the chair. Members are responsible for muting and unmuting themselves and please remember to mute yourself after you finish speaking. Consistent with h. Res. 965 and accompanying regulation staff only mute members and with us as appropriate when youre not under recognition to eliminate background noise. We have a quarrel and we will not recognize myself for opening remarks that i will then be followed by acting Ranking Member, chairman lankford been and didnt Ranking Member slavonic. I will didnt recognize members in order of seniority alternating between democrats and republicans and four affairs and Armed Services members. Before we get started and before i do it Opening Statement i think it would be remiss for us not to mention the president and the first lady, and know that they are in our thoughts and prayers and hope for a speedy recovery. And also the tens of thousands of americans that test positive everyday for this virus. They are in our thoughts. This is a virus. This is a final tribute it is noted for democrat or republican. Doesnt know what god we worship, what our country of origin is. Its a virus and it does underscore the importance of this topic there were talking about today, it does underscore, but this is naturally occurring events, but what bad actors may see as, see a threat like this that really has brought the entire world to its knees and certain has wreaked economic affect both massively internationally. I want to thank the witnesses for being here today, both having the department of defense and the state department, again underscores the importance of this. My focus as subcommittee chairman, under the guise of proliferation we spend time target Nuclear Threats of what were seeing right now is the real vulnerability the biologic threats. Just to put that in context, you know, we have not had an Aircraft Carrier brought to its knees by a genetic or ms. Lowey things like that, but we just saw the pastor an Aircraft Carrier brought to port because of a virus. That really does underscore what i worry about. And what to think about this i think about it in a couple different ways. Its very difficult to obtain Nuclear Capabilities and nuclear technology. The capabilities are rapidly increasing and that is something that keeps me awake at night. Again we know there are bad actors out there. Certainly post 911. We saw other threats and we worried about smallpox and so forth. That something in a bipartisan way that Congress Working with the administration should really think about what are the things that we have to do to move ahead. I look forward to the witness testimony and there are several areas i think about and get to be curious about from the witnesses as we defeat covid and spend the billions of dollars and build an infrastructure to defeat this virus i also think we should be thinking about how we use those resources to office prepare for bio surveillance and be ready for the next naturally occurring virus. And how we have the dual use capabilities as we build the infrastructure to do bio surveillance for me and manmade threats. As we move forward we have the biological d wc but i think we need to see stronger multilateral organizations that we can work with. Im curious how they are thinking about creating those institutions and then lastly when i think about the ethics of gene editing and where that is going in the technology we havent created the standards and the norms that say this is appropriate for advancing the sciences. We are creating those standards in norms and what we will look like. The congress again working with the administrations not just for the United States but for the International Community. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. And those thousands of americans and i would be remiss if i didnt put my dr. Hat on for a second as we enter the fall and winter lets you everything we can keep people safe. Continue to wash her hands and practice good hygiene. Lets avoid large indoor gatherings that we have seen with the shredding events. And the most important thing we can do right now as we enter the fall as everyone go out there and get your flu shot. With that let me recognize the Ranking Member. Thank you chairman. Thank you to our distinguished panel for offering your counsel today. The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the potential for increased security threats and what can happen when irresponsible actors disregard International Agreements for the safe sake of self intervention. The regime only works when it agrees to make it work. We need to assess the shortcomings of the u. S. Multilateral engagements in determining where improvements need to be made. The 2005 International Health regulations away into the forest in 2007 and called on all nations to be compliant by 2012. By 2012 only about 20 of all countries were compliant this administration has taken a significant amount of criticism for questioning u. S. Engagements like the world health World Health Organization. Let me be clear about this the World Health Organization complicity in spreading the virus should not be rewarded with the United States indifferent to the failures. With the gs a. There is an obvious issue of a lack of enforcement in the International Community Different Levels of investment in bio security lends itself to a permanent condition of moral hazard. They are compensating for the lack of investment from other states. Despite our best efforts there is only so much we can do alone. Key programs like the state Department Bio security Engagement Program cannot use funds in countries like china, cuba iran and north korea sudan or syria. Despite the fact that several of these countries have experimented with biological weapons and are likely candidates for future offenses. Countries like north korea had a clearly offensive biological weapons program. And the fact that we have an unreliable International Biological weapons control regime. What exactly does success look like when china dominates several key institutions. As it stands they have provided a gift to nonstate actors. The impact that the potential weapon can have on the American Economy as well as our society. Threats to our way of life had multiplied as a result of the coronavirus. And this timely hearing will be confronting the uncomfortable truth. Im grateful to have our witnesses before us today as a speak more about Synthetic Biology and gene manipulation. We need to find out more about the National Security implications that they can post to the United States several countries are working with pathogens. That being said to hope hicks and anybody that has been affected. Whether they had contracted it or occurred with the family members and loved ones. We are all dealing with it one way or another. Let me now recognize. The subcommittee of the Armed Services committee. Thank you. Also acknowledging and saying that the president and the first lady and family are in my thoughts and prayers. They may also be experiencing effects of the virus. We played it pray that they have a full recovery. I want to thank my colleagues in the subcommittee on asia and the pacific. In the corporation. And particularly you chairman barrett. I know that he is in as a Ranking Member right now. I recognize the Ranking Member as well as my colleagues. That goes right over to our Nation Security and very pleased that we are holding an important joint here. The techniques within gene sequencing. In Synthetic Biology. They are rapidly changing the scale of biological threats and could we increase in biological weapons. Adding to the challenge they are easy to create than other weapons of mass destruction. They enable them to inflict major damage. Just last month. The republic of Georgia Health ministry. That stores medical documents and National Management information. We know that Russian Hackers targeted organizations and is involved in that research. Including those in the u. S. , the uk and canada. These attacks in the current global underscore the impact of the Scientific Research prepared in the agency. And with our allies. In the national and Economic Security when the time that the United States is struggling. With a highly effective pathogen. We must ensure that its working its working together to respond to the current pandemic and advance the collective effort. To the Threat Reduction agency. Through the execution. With the reduction in the biological threat. As it has been receiving the bond type of request for preparedness including providing biosafety. And in aid to detection. Diagnosis and reporting related to the covid outbreak. There been many good examples. In countries. Siberia. Jordan and thailand. The first case of entry into in the country. In the impact that it can have on the National Security. And as a pandemic that could present single biggest threat to our country was starting to spread across the globe with the president s budget request was delivered to the hill in february with a 36 cut. With the time that its struggling to respond to the spread of highly infectious new virus. We are alarmed by the reduction in the budget request. For a mission of detecting. In biological threats. Added back 135 million to the ctr program. 89million of that was additional funding with the cooperative Engagement Program. In the fight against covid. With a the common measures. With the therapeutics and pre treatments. With the physical programs. With the development. The diagnostic and the personal protective agreement. To prepare against the potential unknown threats cd bp built the capabilities to address novel pathogens and making it an ideal program to deal with the emergence of Novel Coronavirus. We are interested today whether the program was quickly and efficiently known. And the National Response to the covid pandemic. These are obviously challenging times and we need to double down on these programs and we need to make sure that we are in fact there for the next biological or chemical event that could affect the country. And make sure that we have all of the tools and resources in place. We look forward to hearing more what we can do today to ensure your organizations have the ability and the resource needed. Today and tomorrow and how you can ensure that they are ready and able to act quickly. I join a host in thinking all of you especially our witnesses for joining us today. I yelled back. Thank you chairman. Let me now recognize the Ranking Member. With the subcommittee of the. I also want to echo my colleagues. And send on behalf of the Congressional District our thoughts and prayers with our first family. And all of the American People that have been impacted by the covid virus. I would like to express my appreciation to you. As well as chairman lanterman. For hosting this hearing. And thank you for the members of the two sub committees. Thank you for being here today. The issue of bio security is one of national importance. As i had stated previously while the department of defense faces urgent challenges daily we can never afford to lose sight of the critically Important Mission of mass destruction and in particular biological threats. The unpredictable nature of these threats require that we continue to adapt our approach and inner great art response. We must adjust the strategy to more proactively detect and respond to the next event. This will surely not be the last biological crisis that this nation and world faces. That they can more effectively use new data sets. To truly modernize our bio surveillance efforts. When and where it may occur. Either naturally occurring or man made is likely to spread. This obviously must be a global effort. And the department of defense. They had developed it will be critical Early Warning to have a collective response. Programs like the cooperative Threat Reduction and the biological Threat Reduction program are essential to maintaining a global footprint in the building of the relationships that protect our National Interest. The Current Crisis has served as an affirmation that biological threats have the biological response. With the health and Human Services Homeland Security and our state and local official. The strength of the partnership and the quality of these relationships you develop with our foreign partners and domestic agencies will underpin the effectiveness of our future efforts. Thank you again for our witnesses. I go back into the chair. Before i introduced the witnesses. I ask unanimous consent. After all Committee Members had have an opportunity to ask questions. Is there objections . Without objection we will recognize them at the appropriate time. Let me reduce reintroduce our witnesses. Mr. David laster. Overseas all of the policy issues at that. The. And this includes preventing the materials to the Defense Department materials. Defense department materials. And Chemical Biological radiological. Next we will hear from the director of defense mister dale oxford. It leads the mission to safeguard the u. S. In its allies from wow weapons of mass destruction. With the biological Threat Reduction. From the state department we will first hear from the acting secretary. Mister jonathan moore. And finally we will hear from the Deputy Assistant therapy. At the bureau of interNational Security. Mister philippa dollars. He oversees a range of the state state department. Including cooperative Threat Reduction. Which works to reduce that worldwide. I will recognize each witness for five minutes. Written statements will be made part of the record. I will call on Mister Lasser first met with the Ranking Members. And all Committee Members. I too want to extend my thoughts and prayers to the president and first lady. I just want to extend my thoughts and prayers to the president and first lady and all of those impacted by covid 19. With my opportunity to present on behalf of the defense. And the critical work we are doing to counter biological threats. I also want to acknowledge the sincere appreciation to the city s ear support that they land. As a deputy s distant secretary. For the weapons of mass destruction i have the privilege to work alongside my colleagues here today. Our Strong Partnership enables the broad u. S. Government effort to reduce the threats including biological threats. The bio Threat Mission aligns with the objection. With the Defense Strategies as well as the secretarys priorities. Mainly t