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HOMELAND SECURITY SUBCOMMITTEE BRIEFED ON PREVENTING NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL ATTACK
March 15, 2005
Five federal agencies appeared before the Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday, March 15, 2005, to answer questions about federal efforts to prevent nuclear and biological attacks.
Officials from the departments of Homeland Security, Defense, Energy, Justice, and State appeared before the Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack.
“Each department contributes to this mission,” said Subcommittee Chairman John Linder (R-GA). “Today’s news that a suspected terrorist charged in New York sought to sell uranium for the purposes of attacking New York’s subway system underscores the urgency of our work. We must do everything in our power to ensure that the U.S. government succeeds in this mission.”
The President’s FY2006 budget seeks $227 million for an office of Domestic Nuclear Detection (DNDO), identified by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff as a “high priority.”
“The Congress is exceptionally interested in steps to make the prevention of nuclear terrorism a priority,” Homeland Security Committee Chairman Christopher Cox (R-CA) said after today’s closed-door session, “it is vitally important that we detect terrorist nuclear devices before they become ‘domestic.’ Prevention of nuclear attacks requires a global focus.”