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Floor Statements
Statement of Representative John Linder of Georgia on the House Floor
June 24, 2005
Mr. Speaker, this week I organized a subcommittee visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help members learn about efforts to support the DHS mission to prevent bio-attacks.
We were briefed on aerosolized anthrax, Avian Flu, and botulinum toxin–and the horrible things terrorists could do with these deadly pathogens. While the CDC is focusing on “how” our enemies could attack us, our military is focusing on “who” may attack us. Among those who would attack us are those held at Guantanamo Bay. These detainees are a far cry from the innocent millions who lost their lives at the hands of Stalin, Hitler and the Khmer Rouge. These are terrorists who would put the botulinum toxin I saw on Monday in the food our families eat.
If we had specific information on how this bio-weapon was about to be used in one of our towns or cities, we would not hesitate to question and detain those we believed had information on such a plot. And that is exactly how we must always act–because we are certain there are enemies out there that mean us grave harm. The American people expect us to be uncompromising in our mission to ensure the security of our citizens.
