In a moment, the rules and regulations, the house will other than the chairman. [inaudible]. All participantshe are asked to give the funds muted and not actively engaging in the discussion which should help eliminate distractions. Numbers, yelled back or otherwise are speaking but do not remember to unmute themselves. This will h do so to have background audio. And responsible for meeting themselves in a time. It may take a few seconds to unmute brightest of please keep that in mind. [inaudible]. Rated time keeper will monitor the times for this hearing. You can view the timer by switching to the first of you in the upper righthand corner of your screen to active speaker with a thumbnail. You can rightclick are having your cursor of the timer and press the thumbtack icon. With that, youre ready too begin. Chairman. [inaudible]. Then please pause for five additional secondsfo went the tn start the proceedings. Five four three two one. This joint subcommittee hearing without sworn Affairs Subcommittee on asia, pacific and on corporations in the house on Armed Services committee on intelligence and urging threats and capabilities will come to order. Erthout objection from the chair is authorized recess of the tcommittee any point in all members will have five days to submit statements, extremes materials and questions for the record. Subject to the length of limitations in the rules. To his or something into the record, please have your staff email other subcommittee. 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 music then meeting themselves and please remember to mute yourselves after you finish speaking. Consistent with 965 in the regulations. The sample only unmute members and witnesses but appropriate when theyre recognition to eliminate background noise. It we have a quorum and will not recognize myself for opening remarks. It will then beor followed by te acting Ranking Member mr. Perry. Chairman and then breaking members. And i will then recognize members in the order of sonority. En between vets republicans in Foreign Affairs and Armed Services. Members. Get started before i do my opening statement. I think it would be remiss for us not to mention the president and the first lady and no there are in our thoughts and prayers and hope for a speedy recovery oread and also the tens of thousands of americans the test positive every day for this virus. They are in our thoughts read and underscore, that this is a virus. Its a mile threat. He know if we are democrat or republican. And does not know what god we worship are, it is a virus. It underscores the importance of this topic that were talking about today. That does underscore this is naturally occurring. These events, and with the bad actors macy as they see a threat like this. Its really brought the entire world to its knees and certainly as we have seen economic havoc parted and i want to thank the witnesses for being here today. And those having the department of defense in the state department again. Underscores the importance of this. My focus and subcommittee chairman, under thee guidance of non for inflation. We spent a lot of time talking about nuclear threats. But what we are seeing right now, the real vulnerability to biologic threats. And just to put that into context, we have not had an Aircraft Carrier process by kinetic force missile. Missile. With that, we just saw an Aircraft Carrier brought to port because of the virus. It really does underscore what i worry about. When i think about this, think about it in a couple of different ways hundred is very difficult to change Nuclear Capabilities andnd technologies. We dedicate hundreds of personnel and International Organizations like the iea. And others to reduce the nuclear threats. That is totally appropriate. We want to make sure the Nuclear Technology and what bernie does not end up in the hands of bad actors. And if it went dahlgren scientists have found, the availability of technology to alter the viruses into genetic editing. They are rapidly increasing and that is something that keeps me awake at night. We know thereap are bad actors t there. And certainly post 911 and any of us prepared we saw anthrax and we saw other threats. We worry about smallpox and so forth. That is something that iat i thk in a bipartisan way 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. There are several areas that i think about and i will be curious about some of the witnesses. As we defeat covid19 and spend billions of dollars and build an infrastructure to the defeat this virus i also think we should be strategically be thinking about how we use those resources to also prepare for bio surveillance to be ready for the next one is naturally occurring virus or biological threat. But also think about how we have those capabilities to rebuild that infrastructure. And to do bio surveys for manmade threats. I also as we move forward, we do not, we have the biological, the beat wc but i think that we need stronger multilateral organizations with likeminded allies that we can work with. I would be curious how they are thinking about creating this multilateral institutions. And then lastly, when you think about the ethics of gene editi editing. And also storing of the technology. We really not created the standards and norms and say, this is appropriate for downplaying science. But thisng is really a little bt dangerous not not to be playing around with jeans in this particular way in creating the standards and norms. I think that is an appropriate place for it. In the Scientific Community in Congress Working the administration. It not just for the United States but the international communities. So again, our thoughts and prayers are with the president and the first lady in those thousands of americans. Id be remiss if i didnt put my doctor had on for a second as we enter the fall in the winter. As to what we can to keep everyone safe. Lets wear face coverings and continue to practice physical distancing and continue to wash her hands and practice good hygiene. Lets avoid large indoor gatherings that we have seen that these super sporting events. The most important thing we can do right now is as we enter into the balls everyone got their faith get your flu shot. These get your flu shot. Withoutet limiting recognize the Ranking Member mr. Perry for five minutes. Thank you chairman. Thank you chairman. Thank you to the distinguished panel for offering your information today. The coronavirus pandemic is highlighted the potential for increased bio security threats and what can happen when irresponsible actors disregard International Agreements for the sake of self prevention part of the Strong International bio security regime only works when its constituent members agree to make it work. We need to assess the shortcomings of the u. S. Multilateral engagement to determine where improvements need to be made. The 2005 International Health regulations went into force in 2007. And all nations to ben compliant by 2012. However by 2012, only about 20 percent of both countries were compliant. O o anyone today most countries have still not complied with the 2005 regulations. This administration has taken a significant amount of criticism for questioning engagement with institution like the World Health Organization parted them to be clear about this bring the World Health Organizations complicity in spreading the virus should not be rewarded with a United States indifference to its failures. The who strong affiliation the Global Health security agenda also raises significant questions about ghth as a longterm efficacy. There is no obvious issue of a lack of enforcement in the International Community. Different levels of investments bio security lends itself to a permanent condition of moral hazard. Select communities like the United States are compensating for the lack of investment from other states. Despite her best efforts to stymie the spread of bio threats, theres only so much we can do alone. Key programs like the state department of bio security Engagement Program cannotur use funds in countries like china, cuba, iran, 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 have been clearly offensive biological weapons and programs with no end in sight. How do we confront the fact that we have an unreliable International Bio logical weapons control t regime. Most importantly, a measuring success against the spread about bio threats, what exactly does success look like when china dominates several key institutions. At the stands, china has provided nonstate actors that which is formed. They have shown us and the world impact the potential bio weapon can have on the American Economy as well as our society. Let your way of life because multiplied exponentially as a result of the coronavirus and this timeed the hearing will be confronting that uncomfortable truth. Im also grateful to have her witnesses before us today as they speak more about Synthetic Biology and gene manipulation. Made to find out more of the National Security applications that Synthetic Biology can post to the United States. Especially in light of the fact that several countries are working with extremely hazardous pathogens and corrections, subpar laboratory settings. With all that being said, i do also offer my prayers and best wishes to the first family, and to anybody thats been affected by the virus whether they have contracted it or whether it is according and their family members loved ones are community. We are all dealing with in one way orit another. I certainly think the chairman for the time and i yelled balance. Thank you mr. Perry. Let me know recognize the chairman of the intelligence emergent threats and subcommittee of the Armed Services committee. Thank you. And i want to begin by also acknowledging and saying that the president and the first lady and the first family are in my thoughts and prayers. And the administration as well. We pray they all have a quick and full recovery. I want to thank my colleagues on the house and Foreign Affairs committee on asia pacific and particularly the Ranking Members and others. In another mr. Perry is getting into the Ranking Members right now thank you for all for hosting the timely joint hearing on the bio security. A recognize Ranking Members as well as my colleagues. This is a topic which as we have seen, duration security. Im very pleased thater were holding this very important joint hearing. Biological techniques such as gene sequencing and editing and Synthetic Biology. Weet changing in the scope and scale of the biological threat parted and it could lead to an increased and biological weapons. Adding to the challenge, biological threats are easy to create an ultimately with mass destruction and used in concert with biological weapons. Enabling a bad actor to create major damage on a military power. In the republic of georges Health Ministry suffered a cyber attack from abroad on the database the stars medical documents and national covid19 pandemic. We know that Russian Hackers are targeted organizations and it involved in covid19s research and Vaccine Development including those in the u. S. , the uk, and in canada. Ith 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. The defense Threat Reduction agency through its execution through the reduction biological Threat Reduction program, and its technical reach back has been receiving by popular request for preparedness and detection including providing bio safety, bio security equipment to aid in detection, diagnosis reporting and modeling related to the covenant teen outbreak. There are many good examples of the ptr fee trained local professionals like in countries like liberia, jordan, and tylan they can diagnose and confirm the existence of covid19 in theirir country. Yet, in the face of known and emergence risks. The impact it could havet in our National Security and could arguably present the single biggest threat to the country was starting to spread across the globe. For the Reduction Program funded the last years active level. At time of the United States is struggling to respond to the spread of a highly infectious environment. We are loved by the department significant reduction in budget request and confronting biological threats in fiscal year 2021 added back 135 million to the ctr program. 89million of that was additional funding with the Engagement Program. Additionally the department of defense in chemical and biological Defense Program was primed to be a key partner in the fight against covid19. Its medical Program Funds and manages common measures, vaccines, therapeutics and pretreatments. The physical Program Funds and manages efforts to develop surveillance and detection technologies, diagnostic, personal protective equipment and decontamination systems like bout potential unknown threats. Theres expertise capabilities to address pathogens making it ideal program to deal with the emergence were interested to see if the program was efficiently directed to participate in the National Response to the covenant teen pandemic. These are challenging times we need to make sure we are in fact prepared for the next biological or chemical event that could affect the country and make sure we have all of the resources in place to respond for the key country and perhaps the world. Well be hearing more about the many efforts of the problems today, we can do to help ensure your organizations have the authorities and resources needed the demurrage while divergent threats of today and how we can ensure the department is ready to act quickly and decide decisively. I think all of you, especially our witnesses for joining us today. And i yield back. Thank you chairman, let me know recognize Ranking Member of the intelligence and emerging threats and intelligence subcommittee Ranking Member stuff on it. Thank you chairman. I also want to echo my colleagues and on behalf of norths 21st Congressional District our thoughts andlsy prayers, the first family, the white house staff, and all the American People have been infected by the covid virus. I like to express my appreciation to you, chairman and rankings member, and for hosting this hearing. And thank you for membersrs of the two subcommittees. Thanks to the witnesses of the department of defense and state for being here today. The issue of bio security is one of national importance. As i have stated previously, or the department of defense faces urgent challenges daily, we can never afford to lose sight of the critically Important Mission of countering weapons of mass destruction and inly particular biological threat sprayed the unpredictable nature of these threats requires that we continue to adapt approach and iterate our response. We must learn from the Current Crisis and adjust our strategy to more effectively and proactively detect and respond to the next event. Thisl will surely not be the last biological crisis this nation and this world faces. And am particular interested in how your organization and the federal government at large can more effectively use new data sets and Artificial Intelligence to truly modernize our bio surveillance. We must anticipate and monitor when and where a biological events may occur. And model how a pathogen either naturally occurring or manmade is likely to spread. This obviously must be a global effort. And the partnership with defense has developed to be critical Early Warning beacons to inform a domestic response. Programs like the cooperative Threat Reduction ms specifically biological Threat Reduction are essential to maintain