Political Quotes

“very quickly, the purpose of my amendment is very simple. It is to protect the American people and strengthen our national security by fully funding the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the BioShield Reserve Fund. BARDA and Bioshield are critical components of our Nation's medical countermeasure enterprise. Today these programs ensure that we have the countermeasures necessary to protect the American people against the full range of chemical, biologic, radiological, and nuclear threats whether natural or the result of manmade attacks. After 9/11 Congress established Bioshield to encourage the development of these countermeasures. Supporting BARDA and Bioshield at their authorized levels is a matter of national security and should be a priority. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Washington.”