House Homeland Panel Takes Up WMD Bill This Week – CQ Homeland Security
A House Homeland Security subcommittee is expected to cruise through a markup of legislation aimed at improving the United States’ ability to prevent and respond to weapons-of-mass-destruction attacks.
During a press conference last week, sponsor Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., said the bill (HR 5498) followed the recommendations of the congressionally created Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism. That commission has said terrorists would attempt a WMD attack — most likely with a biological agent — somewhere in the world in the next three years.
Bipartisan backers of the bill say it will fill significant national security gaps.
