WASHINTON— U.S. Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), today joined Senators Enzi (R-WY) and Burr(R-NC) in calling for Senate passage of the Pandemic and All-Hazard Preparedness Act, a bill to improve and expand critical pieces of our nation’s emergency biodefense and bioterror preparedness capabilities.  Included in the Act are components of the Republican Leadership biodefense preparedness bill (S.3) and the SAFE Act (S. 2792), both introduced by Senator Gregg earlier this Congress, to enhance the public health and medical response to biological outbreaks.  

Earlier today, Senator Gregg commented on the Senate floor, “When you're talking about the issue of whether America is prepared for either a pandemic flu or a terrorist attack using a biological agent which could threaten thousands and thousands, potentially tens of thousands of Americans, you are talking about something that's really, really important. This bill is agreed to. It's bipartisan. But most importantly, most significant, it's needed now. Obviously we hope we don't get hit with pandemic flu, but we've got to start getting ready now just in case that happens. And we don't know -- you can never predict, when a terrorist attack is going to occur, and should it occur with a biological weapon, we need to get ready now for that.”

The measure establishes the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), within the Office of Emergency Preparedness, to fund cutting-edge research and development of medical countermeasures, including drugs and vaccines, to fight bioterrorism and natural disease outbreaks. In addition, the bill provides important new authorities to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate development of these products.

The Act also addresses shortfalls in our nation’s preparedness by enhancing state and local accountability for federal funds, promoting preparedness and coordination at all levels of government, and improving the nation’s biosurveillance capabilities. The bill also includes important provisions to promote regional coordination.

In the 108th Congress Senator Gregg authored the Project BioShield Act, which provided $5.6 billion for the development of critical vaccines, devices and drugs that can be used against bioterror threats like anthrax, small pox, and botulinum toxin.  The legislation also ensures prompt access to life-saving therapies under development when an attack occurs and improves NIH research authorities to speed up bioterrorism research. 
As Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, the Subcommittee held a hearing on May 23, 2006 titled, “Biodefense and Pandemic Influenza: Is America Prepared?”  Under Senator Gregg’s leadership, the HELP Committee held four hearings regarding bioterrorism: “The Smallpox Vaccination Plan: Challenges and Next Steps” January 2003; “Federal Biodefense Readiness” July 2003; “Terror Attacks: Are We Prepared?” July 2004; and “BioShield II: Responding to an Ever-Changing Threat” a joint Hearing with the Judiciary Committee in October 2004. In addition, Senator Gregg held a joint Budget/Appropriations Committee hearing on Bioterrorism preparedness in April 2005.

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