Debbie Dingell: “I rise in support of H.R. 5533, the ``Biodefense and Pandemic Vaccine and Drug Development Act of 2006''. In an effort…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 5533, the ``Biodefense and Pandemic Vaccine and Drug Development Act of 2006''. In an effort to respond to the new era of heightened threats to our national security and the increased risk of harm to Americans, Congress passed the ``Project Bioshield Act'' in July of 2004. The basic purpose of Project Bioshield was to support research that would lead to the development and availability of ``countermeasures'' to combat public health emergencies that threaten our national security. The main provisions of this law included: (1) flexible procedures for bioterrorism-related procurement, hiring of personnel, and awarding of research grants; (2) guaranteeing a Federal Government market for new biomedical countermeasures; and (3) permitting emergency use of unapproved countermeasures. Building on the Project Bioshield Act, H.R. 5533 takes further steps to identify potential medical countermeasures to protect the public health and national security from biological, chemical, radiological, and nuclear threats.”